


Bad Blood

by Kiiesaa



Category: NCT (Band), SM Rookies
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Extraordinary powers, M/M, Romance, Supernatural - Freeform, basically the demon!au fic no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-06 03:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 69,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10324697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiiesaa/pseuds/Kiiesaa
Summary: All it took was one letter for his world to turn upside down. Forced to attend a school with the exact same monsters that killed off his entire family— it was Ten's worst nightmare.





	1. 1. Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wanted to write a story like this so I gave it a shot. This is gonna be long .... yeah, really long, but I like the challenge so I'll try my absolute best. I'm gonna make up alot of things as I go so bear with me TT
> 
>  
> 
> Some info you'll need to know (just in case):
> 
> Incubus is a Lilin-demon in male form who, according to mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon women in order to engage in sexual activity with them.
> 
> Werewolf is a man-wolf, or lycanthrope, a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature.
> 
> Goblins are supernatural beings thought to be malevolent to people. Goblins are demons of any size, usually in human or animal form, that are supposed to assail, afflict, and even torture human beings
> 
> Vampires are those who subsists by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires were undead beings that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods they inhabited when they were alive.
> 
> Dementors (yes, I added dementors cause why not right) are gliding, wraith-like dark creature (considered one of the foulest to inhabit the world). The Dementors feed upon human happiness, and thus cause depression and despair to anyone near them. They can also consume a person's soul, leaving their victims in a permanent vegetative state, and thus are often referred to as "soul-sucking fiends". They are known to leave a person as an 'empty-shell'.
> 
> Elf/Elves seem generally to have been thought of as a group of beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them
> 
> Angel is a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence. Angels are typically described as benevolent, dreadful, and endowed with wisdom and knowledge of earthly events, but not infallible; for they strive with each other, and God has to make peace between them. Most of them serve either as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth, or as guardian spirits.
> 
> Demons are considered as unclean spirits, fallen angels,or a spirit of unknown type which may cause demonic possession.
> 
> Succubus is the female counterpart of an incubus.

In the dawn of time, other than humans, dinosaurs weren’t the only things that roamed the earth freely, wandering far and wide, reaching places where their feet would take them. The world was rich of folklore, gossip and stories that were passed around by tongue; by imagery of mythical beings and alike. People’s imaginations were vast and kaleidoscopic; they sought to believe anything under the sun— even those dark tales told in hushed voices and in secret.

And apparently, even those were true.

Creatures of all sorts— demons, rather— lurked the world in the shadows and lived in hiding, feeding off of humans as their main source of food; for their flesh, blood and even for their dreams. But as the years passed by, they became bolder, unafraid and chose to step out of the shadows, using their powers at whim, reminding the humans who the superior species was. Although mortified, humans fought back with all they had eventually. The era of such was frightening, almost maddening. Both races came to a point of near extinction, the death toll skyrocketed. The bloodlust was unstoppable.

The bravest of the early forefathers— humans and demons alike— fought long and hard to achieve mutual peace between the two species; how it happened was better left buried in history. The Royalties— known as the leaders of each demon clan—, and the human leaders all signed a carefully crafted treaty; an agreement that promised change, protection to the humans, and world peace.

After years and years of perseverance and dedication, both learned to cope and coexist with each other. The demons weren’t in hiding and humans weren’t afraid anymore.

Everything turned out quite beneficial for both sides, and everyone was happy.

 

“WHAT?!?”

 

Well … not everyone.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Ten exclaimed, mouth slightly agape as he stared back and forth at the nine other males scattered around the study room of their villa, in front of him. He had just arrived home after a day out with Jeno and Jaemin, shopping for food at the local grocery store, and he hadn’t predicted that this would be the situation he would be forced to confront with when he returned. Donghae said that the others wanted to speak with him when the older found Ten. The latter and Jaemin were busy putting the stuff that they bought into the fridge in the kitchen, and Ten hadn’t seen this coming. His hyungs were rarely seen together in one place, they were usually traveling and busy with their respective jobs, so it had to be urgent, a matter of grave importance.

But this… this was beyond his expectations.

“Ten,” Kangin warned from where he sat at the side, his arms were crossed, impassively gawking at the youngest in the room. “Manners.”

“Actually Ten, even though I wish I was, I’m not,” Leeteuk, who was the group’s leader, said. His voice was stern as he leaned back into the chair he was sitting on, hands clasped tightly together as he stared at the younger male with his forehead creased tightly. “This is a very important issue.”

Leeteuk motioned for Ryeowook, since he was nearest, to hand the envelope to Ten that had been sent to their house some time ago. Seeing the return address and the wax seal of a very familiar institution attached on the said envelope when it reached their doorsteps, Leeteuk hadn’t thought twice as to opening it; even at the absence of its rightful owner. To say Leeteuk was shocked as he read the contents of the letter was an understatement. He immediately called for an emergency meeting, calling the presence of his group members. It was short notice but everyone came when they were asked to. They needed to discuss the agenda as soon as possible. “You know what it means, right?”

“I’m not going,” Ten said firmly. The ivory yet rose scented paper was crumpled as the grip he had on it tightened. All it took was one look when Ryeowook handed the letter down to him to know what it was for; he didn’t need an elaborated insight regarding the details, not wanting to know more about the subject. No way in hell was he going to go through with this. “It’s impossible, why was I even given such a thing?”

“We don’t know just yet,” Heechul answered nonchalantly. “Kyuhyun tried tracing the address, but no luck.”

“They don’t have anything I could work with,” Kyuhyun, their tech guy and hacker, chimed in. “No website of sorts, the system is ridiculously hidden and the address itself is undetectable.”

“They must have installed in a lot of firewalls and security measures.”

“Well, that, and the fact that no one has ever known where the exact location of the school is.” Kyuhyun sighed, eyes fixated on the laptop’s screen and fingers busy tapping against the keyboard, going over series of cryptic symbols effortlessly. He loved challenges when it came to his work but this particular one was proving to be quite the task. “Which makes the whole thing more difficult.”

“Well, an address is written on top of the letter, and also a time frame,” Leeteuk said. He jerked his hand towards the paper the younger boy was holding, a handwritten scribble conveniently doodled on top, and frowned at the sight of Ten almost ruining the prestigious invitation. “I reckon its going be where they’ll pick you up on your first day. We’ve talked about it earlier, me and the other boys, while you still weren’t here and we’ve decided- ”

“I’m not going,” Ten cut the older off before he could finish his sentence, untouched by the fact that the others were throwing him astounded and sharp looks for being disrespectful towards the eldest. Normally he would just shut up and listen intently on situations like this— Leeteuk was the scariest when he was provoked— but this just wasn’t right.

“Ten.”

“I’m serious. I’m not going to that rotten place.”

“Ten.”

“No!”

“Do you think you even have a choice in this?!” Kangin growled, somewhat animalistic, slamming both fists onto the wooden table when he shot up to his feet, pissed at the stubborn boy who flinched at the sound his knuckles made at the harsh contact. “We are in a dilemma here! Why can’t you see the importance of this matter?!”

“Kangin, shut up! You’re not helping,” Shindong hissed, not liking the fact that Kangin had just lost his cool in front of an eighteen-year-old boy.

“But he’s being a brat and a spoiled-”

“HYUNG!” Donghae interfered and was quick to gust to Ten’s side when he sensed the younger’s discomfort and saw him fidget as Kangin raised his voice, too loud for either of their liking. No way was Donghae going to let anyone, _anyone_ , hurt Ten while he’s around. “Don’t shout at him. Let’s hear him out for a minute before we make rush decisions,” he reasoned, standing close to the younger, protectively placing a hand on his shoulder. “Ten’s just a kid.”

“Kangin, walk it off outside,” Leeteuk ordered, choosing this particular moment to come in between the three; ending the argument.

Kaingin turned to look at the eldest, feeling somewhat betrayed. “Teuk..”

“I said walk it off,” Leeteuk said with finality, the timbre of his voice oozed with authority that everyone— except for Heechul— ducked their heads down, hesitant to look or bat an eye in his direction. Kangin might be the strongest of them all physically but Leeteuk was different; he was a natural born leader, he knew how to command, knew how to demand respect and was deferentially given it. “Come back when you’re calm again.”

Not amused at being thrown out of a very important meeting, Kangin had a scowl on his face and he looked deadly, ready to kill when he faced Ten and it made the latter uncomfortable. Donghae, who was behind Ten, wouldn’t back down and returned the elder’s intimidation ploy with a piercing gaze on Ten’s behalf. Ten felt really safe when the older was around, thankful that Donghae was there to help him out. Before the exchange escalated into an ugly fight, Leeteuk gave Kangin another warning. Kangin was the first to break eye contact, and listened for once. He heeded the elder’s orders and went out the room, but not forgetting to slam the door loudly behind him.

“Look, with all due respect, as much as I want to help, I can’t stand being in the same place as those people. Let alone in a boarding school. I just can’t,” Ten explained when Kangin was out of earshot. He was hoping his thoughts and sentiments would be understood by his hyungs. “Not to this, not to this school of monsters! It’s disgusting!”

In his hand was a letter of admission meant for him, which came from the esteemed Labyrinth Academy. It was an exclusive boarding school for rich ass, important people; demons or humans alike. The institution was known as the oldest school for demons, however, fifty years ago, when the humans and demons agreed on the peace treaty, the school started accepting human enrolees to adjust accordingly to the sudden change in the political system of the world. But the number of demons was still overwhelming compared to that of the humans.

 100:1? Maybe?

Who would even go to a school that housed monsters? Ten thought bitterly.

But why was he chosen? The school was known to be picky with students they admit, only the richest of the rich could go in, that or you’re very influential. Ten was a human, a mere human who only rely on his adoptive father, Donghae, and his part time job at a nearby café for extra cash. He couldn’t even afford to buy a new pair of shoes if Hyukjae hadn’t offered to buy him one!

So why him?

The room was quiet for awhile, not one dared to utter a word, mindful of breaking the silence.  It took a few more seconds before Leeteuk heaved a deep sigh, he slowly shook his head before turning back at Ten, his eyes were sad and it stirred something inside of Ten. “I know what you’ve been through; we were there for you when all of it happened. And I know you hate them,” he started. “But listen, this is our chance. Might be our only chance, in a very long time. Do you understand?”

Of course Ten understood, but he couldn’t push himself to go with the idea. The thought of being around them, living with them, living side by side with demons, it made his skin crawl and the undying fire of loathing he had for the other species was just extinguishable; the hate was engraved too deep in him to just forget.

Not all wounds are meant to be healed through time.

Even with the ruling order of no killing humans brought about by the treaty that was reinforced all over the world by the Royalties and human authorities, Ten’s family was still killed by those heartless monsters.

Ten can still remember the memory vividly, like it happened yesterday.

It was one stormy night, early December, the wind was freezing, the pavements around their neighborhood— they lived at the northern part of Korea— was covered with beds of snow and Ten was around 7 years old by then. Their family went on a yearly camping trip, to an adjoining camping site near their area. Ten and his older brother went to collect some dried wood nearby to start a campfire while their parents were in charge of fixing the foldable tent they had brought. The high pitched cry from a voice which they easily recognized to be their mother’s broke the usual sibling banter they had and ran back to where they parked their car and set up their tent.

It was dark, the area was surrounded with tall pine trees but the moon was high, it provided them with light and they clearly witnessed how their parents were murdered by some unknown creature— it was neither a wild boar nor a stray animal. The aura emitted from the large frame was black, it appeared like smoke and that alone confirmed that it wasn’t anything close to being human— it was a demon— in its real form, blood dripping from its hands as it had its head turned to them, having had sensed their presence. But what it was exactly, Ten did not know. He was young and knowledge regarding those beings had never piqued his interest before, not until that every moment. At the sight for his parents’ lifeless bodies draped on the ground, the repugnant dark red color tainting the white snow; Ten was glued to his feet, the weight of his body seemed heavier and he was unable to move from the spot he was standing on.

The creature made its way towards them and his older brother had to shout at him to run away, saying he’ll distract the beast while Ten ran for his life. Everything was a frenzy; blood was rushing to his head, tears streaming down his face, he wanted to puke and yet he did not know what to do or where to go. Ten ran as far as his feet could take him, not once did he look back. He never even knew if his older brother was killed too or not.

A few moments later, having had done all that he can to escape, Ten lost the energy to go on, his legs giving out on him and he collapsed on the freezing ice cold snow. He thought he was going to die at that moment.

But Donghae, a demon hunter, who was patrolling the area came just in time and rescued him before he froze to death. He was taken in by the older when he was sure that Ten was still alive. He carried the younger in his arms and brought him to one of their nearby houses, offered him some warm clothes and food while he attended to his wounds. The older then brought Ten to Seoul, for the others to meet when the younger was feeling fine. Donghae told them what happened when they asked.

Ten met SJ right then and there for the first time. They were a notorious group, known by some as SJ. They hunted rouge demons, but all had different jobs as well— and were all rich just the same— the group was led by Leeteuk.

Kangin was hesitant about him being there at first but the others managed to persuade him into accepting the poor boy into their humble home. They took him in when he had nowhere else to go to. There, with his hyungs, he found refuge and made a family of his own. He grew attached to them and so did they. He was close to Donghae, his savior, most especially.  The older male helped him out a lot; had been here for him as he was struggling to recover from the trauma, and even offered to be his dad in compensation for the one that he lost. With his consent, Donghae adopted him under his and his partner’s, Hyukjae’s, name.

After a few years had passed by, and even after the series of therapies Donghae made him take to ensure he was psychologically healthy, nightmares of that night were still haunting him. Sometimes he could even smell the scent of blood in his sleep, hear the desperate cries of his brother and mother. But even if he tried to help, even if he tried to do something, everything will eventually turn black and he’ll suddenly wake up, drenched in sweat and eyes full of tears.

As he matured, Ten tried to seek justice for his parents’ death but the case was closed before he even had a chance to bring it up; neither bodies were found. The authorities deemed the whole episode as an accident, a simple camping accident; campers getting lost in the woods and encountered beasts that probably have killed them.

An accident? His parents were murdered! Murdered before his very eyes by demons!

But the police didn’t listen; they wouldn’t believe him even when he was telling nothing less than the truth. Demons and humans have been civilized with each other for half a century, so why would one kill the other now? That was what everyone thought. But Ten knew better.

He vowed revenge; for his family and for himself.

It was then that Donghae offered to train him, to teach him everything that he knew so that when the time came and Ten would be forced to meet the same creatures that killed his family; he’d be ready and could manage to fight back and protect his own life. Donghae trained him to fight.

 

“We all know it’s been hard for you. But think about it, the more we know, the more it is to our advantage,” Leeteuk calmly said. “We received intel from Yesung most recently. Some of the most influential demon clans and families are planning something. They’ve been spotted meeting up secretly in France, Tokyo and in Busan a few weeks before.”

“Yesung was able to intercept them while he was at Tokyo for a business meeting. Siwon was around France at that time too,” Heechul, who was Leeteuk’s left hand man, added. “It’s alerting since this hasn't happened before. And the world doesn’t seem to care; no one does nowadays.”

“But we do,” Ryeowook asserted. “We don’t know what it is yet but it seems to be something big.”

“The Royalties seems to be unaware of this since they haven’t made a move. The demon families are moving on their own will and it’s highly suspicious,” Kyuhyun remarked. “The authorities don’t even have a clue what is happening.”

“For all we’re aware of, they could be planning a hostile takeover against the Royalties, planning to overthrow them and start another war. We have to know what’s going on .To protect ourselves if something’s bound to happen, we have to be prepared,” Sungmin interjected firmly, receiving nods of approval from the others.

“This would be beneficial to us,” Shindong added. “We have to think about our family, Ten. We have to protect what is ours.”

“Think about Jeno and Jaemin,” Hyukjae said. This was the first time the older uttered something eversince the meeting started. He’d casually nod his head but did not say anything. Hyukjae was the only one standing, leaning against the wall as he gave Ten a certain look when he caught the younger’s eyes and it made Ten frown.

At the mention of his adoptive brothers’ names, Ten looked anxious and on edge, he unconsciously bit his lower lip until it turned red. The two had always been his weakness and now his hyungs were using it against him. How cocky.

But no matter how he looked at it, Ten didn’t really have a choice; there was no room for argument anymore. They all had made up their minds.

“There isn’t another way around this, isn’t there?” Ten asked.

No answer.

Ten turned around to look at Donghae, the older male didn’t say anything, instead he just gave him an encouraging nod and a small smile, somewhat telling Ten that the older would support him no matter what decision he made.

He took a deep breath first, calming his nerves, and then regarded Leeteuk. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Leetuek broke into a wide smile, making his dimple more evident, knowing from the start that the younger would agree. Ten might be a tough nut to crack but he’d always give in eventually. “Min, hand him the papers.”

As he was told, Sungmin stood up and rampaged through the drawers at the side, retrieving a few folders. “I did some digging. There are some famous names going to that school as well. You’ve been training under Donghae and Hyukjae for more than 10 years so we know you could handle this. You are to look out for them, observe and gather as much as you can before the semester ends,” he briefly explained. “Ryeowook,” the blond male called.

The shorter male in question took the papers from the former, went through them one last time and laid each paper one by one as he continued explaining. “We asked a few people, did some research and they’ve gathered all that we can to help you for this mission. Here are your targets.”

“Jung Jaehyun, vampire,” Ryeowook started. “He’s a pureblood. The Jung’s are one of the first vampire families here in Seoul and they are very influential; his father is a governor and his brother, Jung Yunho, is the academy’s chairperson.”

“Lee Taeyong, dementor,” the older pulled out another file. “Dementors are one of the least known demons in history. They are small in number and there are only about three families of dementors present in Korea. But what they lack in numbers, they make up for strength; they are just as dangerous as the other demons. The info we have on their skills and powers are limited so we only know what is usually written in books,” he continued. “This kid comes from a wealthy family. Better watch out if you run into him.”

“Now, this kid is the real deal,” the older smirked shrewdly before placing the file on the table for everyone to see. “Ji Hansol, Goblin. He’s blue blooded; a direct bloodline of the Royalties. He’s the third in line for the crown after his sister and older brother. But many believe he’ll most likely succeed his dad when he graduates.”

“And lastly, the most dangerous one,” he paused for effect.  “Johnny Seo,” Ryeowook handed the last file to Ten before he sat back down on his seat, urging the younger to read the contents of each to understand and know his targets further.

Ten opened the folder, out came stacks and stacks of papers with valuable information about the guy that was supposed to be the one he’d have to look out for, but his eyes were glued to the photo attached on top.

There were numerous photos actually, each were taken from afar, visibly stolen. These were probably Yesung’s work, Ten thought.

He couldn’t help but admire each photograph, though. The demon was visually stunning, if Ten did say so himself. His hair was the softest shade of brown Ten had ever seen, silky and straight. His nose was high and pointed. He had prominent cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and bow like shaped lips that curled up into a smirk. How was Yesung able to catch such a moment on camera?

“Handsome, isn’t he?” Heechul teased as he saw the younger gaping at the photograph, unable to take his eyes off it. A tinge hit of pink adorned his cheeks when Ten held his head up, earning a grin in triumph from Heechul. “It’s an asset of his kind, being irresistible. He’s an incubus, the most powerful one in this family. His mother is a succubi. Her family was the descendants of the original incubi clan. They’re ancient, a living legend,” there was a hint of fascination in Heechul’s voice as he spoke and it indeed caught Ten’s ears.

“And he’s also a wolf, presented himself as an Alpha when he was just 8 years old,” the older male continued. “His father is the Alpha leader of the largest pack in Korea; their number is massive.”

“What makes him standout is his uniqueness compared to his other two siblings. They aren’t like him. His older brother is an Alpha and his sister is a succubi. But he’s the only one that’s both,” Shindong said, sounding just as impressed. “The first known Alpha Incubus in the world.”

A demon with both ancestries in his blood?

“Is that even possible?” Ten asked as he looked up from the papers in his hands, genuinely curious.

“We never thought it was, but it is now,” Kyuhyun retorted, pushing his glasses back as it fell down onto the bridge of his nose. “Johnny Seo is the evidence.”

“That’s what makes him more deadly,” Leeteuk said. “Ji Hansol is royalty yet he follows Johnny Seo’s command at whim, we could only imagine how powerful that kid is.”

Sungmin nodded his head in agreement. “He’s friends with the other three, they’re just as dangerous. They are also older compared to you. So you better be careful when you are to confront them, Ten.”

Ten scrunched his face in caution before he looked back down to go over the files again. He was scanning through the papers but there was one thing that he found oddly interesting— all four boys were handsome.

He hated demons, true, but Ten had a keen eye and was a bad liar. He knew how to appreciate an attractive person and Ten would be lying if he said all four boys weren’t attractive— ‘cause they dangerously were. Probably just as dangerous as they literally were. But what caught Ten’s attention the most was the last one; Johnny Seo.

“Donghae will send you off,” again came Leeteuk’s soothing voice, cutting Ten’s train of thought. “The uniform is already at your room. Start packing your stuff, you leave in three days.”

“Wait. How are we going to pay for the tuition of this school?” the younger asked. “Isn’t it expensive?”

“Don’t worry,” Leeteuk answered. “We already contacted Siwon. He’s still in Milan but he’s got it covered.” He offered the younger a warm smile. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Just never lose sight of your mission,” Shindong reminded, patting him on the shoulder when he stood up to get something to eat since the meeting was over.

“Watch out, or you will get hurt. These kids are strong,” Kyuhyun warned, closing his laptop and hiding it inside his bag.

“And remember,” Ryeowook added, coolly leaning towards him, he sounded very serious and Ten was all ears, waiting for what he’ll say. “You’re also there to get an education so you better study hard.” The elder childishly flicked his forehead, got up on his feet and left the room.

Education? Yeah right.

 

* * *

 

“Hyung? Do you have a minute?”

As Ten was busy packing his belongings, he heard the door to his room creak open. The voice was so familiar when it rung through the wide space of his quarters that Ten didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. “What is it, Nana?” he asked, back still turned at the younger as he continued folding his clothes that were spread on his bed. “Where’s Jeno?”

“He’s in our room, studying,” the younger lad answered timidly, carefully making his way towards the older male. “Hyukjae-hyung told us early,” he said hesitantly, unsure how to breach the topic. “You’re really leaving, hyung?”

“It’s not like I have a choice,” Ten sighed audibly, feeling physically tired all of a sudden as he stuffed his clothes into a duffel bag. “I’m doing this for us.”

“You don’t have to if you really don’t want to, hyung,” the younger boy countered, frowning deeply as he eyed his brother. “Me and Jeno couldn’t live with ourselves if something bad happened to you because of us.”

Hinting the palpable trace of melancholy and hurt in his voice, Ten turned to look at Jaemin. The younger had his head lowered but Ten could still make out that the younger was in a sour mood. Ten was guilty of having been the cause of the younger’s distress. He immediately opened his arms, welcoming Jaemin inside a hug, caressed a gentle hand onto his back, soothing his worries away lovingly.

“It’s alright, Nana,” he assured as he pulled back marginally, brought a hand to ruffle Jaemin’s hair kindly. “Everything will be fine and I won’t get hurt.”

“Hyung, are you seriously fine with this?”

“Being in the same school with the same species of lowlife that killed both of our families? Of course, not! But sacrifices are meant to be made,” he said. He sounded more convincing than ever, Ten was somewhat proud of himself to have been able to pull that off. “I have to do something like this sooner or later.”

Just like him, Jaemin and Jeno had also been through tough times because of certain lowlife demons. They were childhood friends, their parents were killed one fateful night and they were the next targets but luckily, Hyukjae saved them just in time. The older took responsibility for the two and adopted them just the same. Both became Ten’s brothers overnight.

Jaemin didn’t add anymore.

“I’ll be fine. I promise,” Ten assured one more time.

“Hyung, just be careful, okay?”

“Of course I will. Who do you take me for? I’m not weak,” he joked, wanting to ease the tension in the room. When he saw Jaemin’s lips slowly turning up into a smile, he knew he had done his part.

Yeah, he’ll be alright.

 

* * *

 

It was the day that Ten had to leave and he wasn’t feeling good, he had been dreading the very day that he had to leave and now he had to. His hyungs were there— although they were busy with their respective lives— they still made time for him, to send him off. Heechul and Sungmin were constantly giving hi rounds reminders and encouragements; the others were just quiet, providing their support in silence and in simple smiles. Ten appreciated their effort nonetheless.

Hyukjae was reluctant on letting the younger go, resisting the urge to stop him when Ten finally said goodbye. Jaemin had been crying, eversince the night before, he tried suppressing them before but his tears just wouldn’t stop falling. Jeno was calmer, but the usual glint he had in his eyes when he smiled was nowhere to be seen. And when Ten trapped both Jaemin and Jeno in a hug, the two tightly returning the embrace, not wanting to let him go, Ten was close to tears too. The thought of backing out from the mission and just staying home instead was too tempting. But the comforting hand Leeteuk put on his shoulder and the small nod was enough to give him strength.

He could do this.

“Are you feeling alright?” Donghae asked, concern lacing his voice as he caught a glimpse of the younger through the reflection of the mirror inside the car.

“I’m fine,” Ten answered, his eyes were staring far off the window, trying to visually memorize the path they’re going through.

“You know you’re doing this for the greater good, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Ten closed his eyes before he sighed.  There was still something off putting with the entire mission, though. He couldn’t pin point what it was just yet. “I won’t fail.”

“I have something for you,” the older reached for the pocket of his jeans, he took out a small necklace he and Hyukjae had mutually agreed on to give the younger, handed it to Ten before returning back to the stirring wheel, eyes fixated on the road. “Keep it.”

“What’s this?” he asked, carefully perceiving the black pendant Donghae had given him; it looked antique and strange.

“It’s a charm necklace,” Donghae clarified. “Never take it off. It’ll chase away some demons, to keep you safe.”

“I could take care of myself well without the help of a tiny necklace, thank you very much,” he answered sarcastically but still hooked it around his neck, admiring the dark stone and ancient carving engraved artistically on its side. It was so his style; dark and mysterious.

“Yeah, I’ve taught you well,” Donghae chuckled amusingly, which made the younger smirk, proud of being the elder’s best student. “Do you need a run through on your mission again?”

“Act as a normal student, spy on those students mentioned on the file you’ve given me and stay safe,” he rolled his eyes, repeated the same line that Donghae never failed to remind him for the ninth time the past few days.

“Good.”

* * *

 

Somewhere in between considering the scenery outside the window and inaudibly admiring the beauty that is Korea, Ten dozed off to sleep.

A few minutes later, as they were in the outskirts of Seoul, Donghae stopped the car and turned off the engine. “Wake up. Our stop’s here,” the older announced before slowly shaking the younger’s side, Ten stirred in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes, blinked continuously as he took in his surroundings. They were in the middle of nowhere. Ten looked around when he was fully awake, noticing that there was another car in the area as well, parked just in front of theirs, a few meters away, probably had been there before them. “C’mon, let’s get going.” Donghae took his coat and draped it against his shoulders before he opened the door and went out, Ten followed suit.

As they were out in the open, the door of the adjacent car had also opened, out came a tall male, wearing black from his head to his feet, a fedora hat sat on top of his head and he stood across them.

Out of impulse, Donghae took out a pistol he conveniently had for emergencies, and pointed it at the intruder. His fingers were ready to pull the trigger, he was ready to kill anyone that dared harm Ten but the tall male pulled off his fedora, brought it close to his chest, and spared Donghae a knowing smirk, their eyes met.

“Nice to see you again, _hyung_.”

At the familiar face of someone he was well acquainted with in the past, Donghae lowered his gun and tucked it back inside the pocket of his coat before he approached the other, stopped just right in front of him and gave him a friendly pat of the back, circling him in his arms a few moments later. Since Donghae was smaller, the other had to bend his body to accommodate his height. “It’s been awhile,” the older male greeted.

The other answered back with a soft chuckle but then his peripheral vision caught the sight of Ten behind Donghae. “Is that him?”

“Yes. That’s Ten,” Donghae gestured towards the younger. “Please watch over him, okay?”

“With my life,” he answered, more seriously this time. “I’ll put his things in the car.”

“Who is he?” Ten asked in a hushed voice when the tall male went back to his vehicle after getting Ten’s luggage out from the trunk of Donghae’s car.

“A friend of mine. He’ll take care of you while you’re at Labyrinth. If you have problems and you can’t contact us, go to him directly. You’re in good hands. Trust me,” Donghae reached for the younger’s hair out of habit and messed it up a bit which Ten made a small noise of protest against but he couldn't actually complain. The act was small, too domestic, but it Ten’s eyes, it was endearing.  “I have to go,” the older said after checking his wrist watch, noting that it was time for both him and Ten to be off. “When something happens, let me know right away.”

“I will.”

“I mean it, Ten,” his voice was commanding for once and it made the younger roll his eyes. It was usual for Donghae to be like this; to be protective and to get carried away, afraid that something would happen to Ten when he knew that the younger could protect himself. “Call me right away.”

“Yes, _dad_.”

Donghae smiled one last time and gave Ten another hug. Ten rarely called him Dad after all. “Be safe, _son,_ ” he whispered softly against the younger’s ear as he pulled away, took a step back, made his way to his car and journeyed back home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The road where the school led to was unfamiliar to Ten, he had never tried venturing into the deepest parts of the Seoul before— except for school, the mall, and the grocery store, Ten rarely went out at all. The whole area was covered with trees, tall ones that almost reached the skies. And that was just it, there were just trees everywhere. How could they build a prestigious school in such a place? Ten doubted.

“Ten, right?” the other asked suddenly, breaking the silence in the car. “I’m Choi Minho. I’ll be you’re homeroom teacher from now on.”

Out of nowhere came a huge steel gate while Minho was still talking, even Ten was shocked where it came from. When the bumper of Minho’s car was a meter away, the gate suddenly opened, providing them with entrance as they made their way through.

They drove up a tall hill and on top laid an enormous building.

It seemed like a castle in Ten’s eyes.

_Now I know why the tuition is expensive._

“Welcome to Labyrinth Academy,” Minho said as he stopped the car when they arrived at the front, unclasping his seatbelt, he then exited his vehicle and kindly opened the door for Ten.

Ten gulped nervously as he took one step outside, the nauseous feeling he had been trying to repel was coming back all at once.

As Minho took his things out of the trunk and Ten’s eyes wondered around the open space, he was starting to have second thoughts.

Damn, what had he gotten himself into?


	2. 12:30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten met some pretty interesting people on his first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually enjoyed writing this more than I originally thought. A really, really, nice way to let out some pent up stress from school. orz  
> Heavily unbeta'd, btw.

As Ten had expected from a prestigious school like Labyrinth, the vicinity, the establishments, and the equipment they used to aid the students in their quest for learning were state of the art and very impressive— likely to be expensive too.

Minho toured Ten around the campus, taught him the way so that the younger wouldn’t get lost on his own if the older wasn’t with him anymore. The whole place was vast and if Ten wasn’t as fit as he was, he would have gotten tired easily with how far they have walked from the moment they arrived till now.

And then they reached the field; the main grounds of the school. As Ten was looking around the area, he could see that some students were scattered on nearby benches, already wearing their uniforms, talking among themselves. He was faintly uneasy as he saw them, knowing that they’ll be able to decipher that he was human even from far away; the thought was menacing.

It was one of a demon’s powers; they could feel other’s aura effortlessly; they could easily know if you’re one their kind or not. Humans, however, couldn’t tell the difference; it was tricky and demons rarely show their real selves, they were always in their human form as they walked around in broad daylight.

To Ten’s dismay, he saw a group of students talking towards them. And Ten wasn’t so sure if it was because of him or Minho’s presence that perked their attention and made them turn their heads to the pair. They had their eyes fixated on him as they stalked past Ten, but the latter chose to not mind the stares thrown his way and continued pacing forward, beside Minho, as the older was still informing Ten about what each building they passed by was for.

“This is the farthest I could take you,” Minho said as he made an abrupt stop. “Your dorm is the first building you see when you make a right from here. Here’s your room key.” The older fished something out from the pocket of his coat and handed a glossy black card to the younger. It was like one of those room keys used in fancy hotels. “Classes officially start tomorrow. Your class schedule is on the desk of your room,” he explained, giving his wrist watch a fast peak before he turned back to the younger. “I’d want to help you settle in but I have a meeting to attend and the chairman will kill me if I’m anymore late than I already am.”

Ten nodded his head in understanding, thanking the older for his time. It was weird. Ten wasn’t sure what Minho even was; he could be a demon for all he knows and yet Ten was being friendly with him when he hated his kind.

But Donghae told Ten that Minho will look out for him, Donghae entrusted Ten to Minho and Ten trusts Donghae with his life; so he’ll have to believe in Minho as well. Donghae has a keen eye on knowing what’s best for Ten after all.

“See you tomorrow at class, Mr. Lee,” Minho said, the corner of his lips curling up to form a soft smile, highlighting his features. Minho was handsome, too.

“Yes, Mr. Choi,” the younger replied, returning the grin and bowed his head in gratitude yet again.

“Enjoy your stay here, Ten,” the older said one more time before he turned his heel and walked away.

* * *

 

 

Ten easily found his dorm and room just like what Minho said; D-201.

The building itself had an elevator so Ten did not have a hard time carrying all his stuff to the 4th floor. After opening the door to his room, with his luggage behind him, he made his way inside. Shocked was an understatement to explain how he felt when he eyed the space that was supposed to be his. The room was so huge! It was very spacious and it was larger compared to his room back in their house (and SJ was rich so this was saying something).

_How much did Siwon-hyung have to spend for me to attend his school?_

There was a bedroom with a queen sized bed; a kitchen; a living room with a flat screen tv; and a bathroom. It was modern looking; was clean from the ceiling till the floor since the interior was mostly white but classy with a tinge of black.

_I could get used to this._

“No wonder the tuition here’s expensive. The rooms are ridiculously extravagant!” a voice came from behind Ten, shocking him almost instantly as to why there was someone else in the room besides himself.

Like a deer caught on head lights, Ten was on full alert mode.

 _Who was that? Was it an enemy? How did they get in?_ Oh right, he forgot to lock the door. Stupid Ten. _Maybe those kids earlier found out I was human and are out to get me? Maybe they were set out to kill me?_

He suddenly turned to face the intruder, he was quick on his feet and spun around, ready on his fighting stance; set to defend himself,  to pulverize who dared tried to blindly attack him.

But what he saw wasn’t intimidating at all. In front of him stood a boy, who was probably his age, with brown hair, doe like orbs, a bright smile that could rival Jaemin’s, and a happy demeanour, eyeing Ten enthusiastically, like it was the most normal thing to be in some stranger’s room.

_What the fuck?_

“Excuse me, but who are you?” Ten asked after regaining his composure, straightened himself up, sensing as though the other male wasn’t a threat.

The stranger turned to Ten, and the latter’s eyes met his, smiling happily at Ten like he has known him for his entire life. He made his way towards Ten, casually reaching out a hand as to offer a handshake. “Nakamoto Yuta,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”

Ten blinked once, twice and thrice, but the boy wouldn’t disappear. It was really real then; it wasn’t just another one of his weird dreams. “I’m not being rude or anything, but what are you doing here? How did you even get in?”

“Oh! Your door was open so I let myself in,” Yuta explained, shrugged his shoulders coolly. How could someone be as laid back as him? Ten thought. “I live at the room next to yours. We’re neighbors!” He still had his hand outreached and the look he gave Ten suggested that he wanted the latter to accept his friendly motion. Although in doubt, Ten took Yuta’s hand and shook it before letting go momentarily. It was fleeting, but the look of triumph in Yuta’s face after the brief contact had caught Ten’s eyes nonetheless. “I didn’t saw you at the opening ceremony earlier, were you there?” Yuta asked.

“No. I just arrived a while ago.”

“You’re lucky,” Yuta said. “The whole thing was damn boring! I can’t believe they made students go through that every year. If the chairman wasn’t fucking attractive, I would have left!” And then series after series of rants and complains came from the other. Ten wasn’t so sure why Yuta was even telling him these things in the first place.

However, snappishly, Yuta’s words came to a stop. His eyes were back on Ten, but this time, he looked serious, a whole 180 degree change from his previous brashness. His face slightly darkened and Ten swore he felt his skin crawl and goose bumps on his forearms at the other’s piercing gaze.

“What are you doing?” Ten asked, sensible of the look Yuta was giving him.

“Feeling your aura,” he answered, frowning at Ten, tiled his head to the side in confusion. “You’re different. What are you?”

It was Ten’s cue to be muddled.

“Shouldn’t you know that already?”

That’s strange. If Ten’s assumption on Yuta being a demon was true then he should know if Ten was human at just first glance, right? Why couldn’t Yuta, though?

“I can’t feel anything coming from you. It’s strange.” Yuta looked utterly disordered, his forehead creased. “What are you?” he repeated, wanting an answer.

Ten was sceptical on what to say, on what to answer. Was it safe to admit the truth? Should Ten lie instead? Albeit Yuta might be a demon of sorts or he seemed annoying and nosy for his own good, there was something about Yuta that made Ten feel safe. It was the same feeling he feels whenever Donghae and Hyukjae are around. It was weird, that Ten was letting his guard down in the presence of a demon, but his instincts were telling him, that like with Minho, Ten could trust Yuta just the same.

He took a breath before Ten answered simply, “I’m a human.”

Silence then filled the room. Ten waited, observed the other to see some sort of visible reaction on his face; a hint of disgust or irritation, maybe, knowing that Ten was an inferior specie compared to Yuta, that Ten was below him. But a few seconds had already passed by and yet Ten saw none of that, instead Yuta’s eyes widen incredibly.

“Really? That’s awesome!” he exclaimed and it caught Ten off guard. Definitely not the sort of reaction he was expecting, no doubt. “I never had a human friend before. Now I do.”

_And now we’re friends?_

“What do you mean by that? Don’t you have humans from where you’re from?”

“A few. Japan is overly populated with demons after all, my kind most especially. I’m an Elf by the way.” At the mention of what he was, Ten’s face might have scrunched up into something that made Yuta rub his nape sheepishly. “I know, not exactly the strongest demon out there.”

If there was a hierarchy of demons based on their powers and class, Elves would definitely be at the bottommost portion. Sure, they had powers as well but they were exceptionally weak. They weren’t exactly _that_ dangerous compared to others. Ten was relieved at the thought.

“Yuta? Are you in here?” another voice came from outside which caught both boys’ attention and made them turn their heads to where the door was. A tall blonde boy came into view, making his way towards Yuta. “I’ve been looking for you.”

_What is it with everyone and why are they entering my room like it’s theirs?? Why are they having a short reunion in my room??_

“Hey Doyoung!” Yuta greeted with familiarity, his smile was wide when his eyes landed on the other. “How did you found me?”

“I felt you were near,” the boy answered nonchalantly. “What are you doing in someone else’s room?”

“Forget about that. Anyway, this is Ten!” Yuta gestured towards Ten, he was beaming as he introduced the latter. “He’s human, could you believe that?!”

“Yuta, you act like you haven’t seen a human before,” Doyoung rolled his eyes dramatically at him. “And don’t go around announcing to everyone you see that he’s human. You know how the others here are, I’ve already told you.”

“What? I just find him awesome! Being human seems cool.”

Doyoung shook his head at Yuta’s hopelessness, sighing before turning to Ten, sparing him an apologetic glance for his friend’s silliness. “Sorry about him, he’s stupid.”

“Hey!” Yuta whined, even pouting his lips for added affect but Doyoung brushed it aside.

“I’m Kim Doyoung. Vampire,” he formally introduced himself. Like Yuta, he too offered Ten a handshake.

Ten, however, did not accept the gesture; he stared at the other’s outreached hand cynically.

Vampire. Doyoung was a vampire, a demon; a blood-sucking demon.

The way Ten’s lips were pursed tightly, the way his calculating eyes glanced Doyoung’s hand, and the way his body stiffened at the term Doyoung used to introduce himself with, hadn’t escape the latter’s extraordinary observation skills. Doyoung gave Ten a soft smile, chuckled awkwardly before he took his hand back and scratched his temple in quiet dismay, not used to being rejected like that. But Doyoung did not take it to heart. He knew why Ten responded like that after all. “If it puts you at ease, I’m half human as well. I’m a Half-blood.”

_Half Blood? So Doyoung was still partially human? That changes everything._

“No, I don’t mean it like that,” Ten denied right away, afraid that he might have offended the other by acting arrogant and guarded.

“It’s alright. I completely understand. Everyone has their reasons, I won’t judge,” Doyoung assured. “If you’re really human, it must be tough coming to a school like this.”

_Tell me about it._

“I’m Ten, by the way. Nice to meet you,” he said nicely, finally smiling the first time that day. “Are we the same age?”

“I think so. I’m a second year, though.”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Yuta suddenly chimed in, not liking the feeling of being left out as the two got to know each other, slung an arm around the two which made them hunched their bodies, “but I’m really hungry. Let’s get lunch!”

* * *

 

 

Ten did not know why he agreed, but they went to the cafeteria to get lunch like what Yuta had suggested without much protest. After making sure his room was locked before they left— just in case some other demon barged into his room— and he brought his wallet and key, they were off. Pleasant chatter was shared between the three. Doyoung and Yuta were really the talkative type— Yuta most especially— and somehow, Ten felt comfortable being around them. They might be demons— weak ones, though— but Ten could actually consider hanging out with them as bearable, they could even be friends—if Yuta hadn’t proclaimed that they already were.

As they made their way, Ten found out that Yuta was his classmate for all of his classes, that Doyoung and Yuta were childhood friends since Doyoung used to live in Japan as a kid, that Yuta was really Japanese, and that Doyoung is a member of the student council.

Not long after, as they passed through the double doors on a separate building close to their dorm, surprisingly, no one seemed to have batted an eye on their direction when they came in and Ten was somewhat relieved at the lack of fuss from his schoolmates. The whole area was full of people, packed with students since it was lunch time, the sound of noisy babble filled Ten’s ears but everyone was minding their own business or were busy with their own agenda to mind the new comers as they walked in. Strange, Ten thought. No reaction whatsoever.

It was probably because Yuta’s and Doyoung’s auras were covering his own so no one would notice he was human, right?

_Yes, it could be because of that._

But as they were lining up to get some food, Ten felt as if something was out of place. Out of nowhere, the air suddenly turned cold, freezing at some point, and it made a sudden chill ran down his spine. He turned to the two beside him to ask if they felt it as well but they seemed unaffected unlike he was. Was it just him? Was he imagining things?

But the feeling was really there; that undoubtedly, there were more than two pairs of eyes that had been watching him for a while now, probably from afar, following his every move and it made Ten slightly fidget and wary. Although tempted to find out who it was, who was gawking at him, Ten did not want to turn around and risk anything. There was a voice inside his head telling him not to, and that it was dangerous. And the feeling itself was completely off putting.

* * *

 

 

 

Everything went smoothly after Ten’s almost break down; they ate lunch, those eyes watching him were now gone and both Yuta and Doyoung offered to tour him around since he had just arrived— Ten hadn’t turned them down although he already knew where everywhere was since Minho taught him— and they went back to their dorm after.

After completely settling in and the day quickly turned to night, Ten took a bath, changed into his pajamas and made it to bed; he was fatigued and he needed nothing more than to sleep.

His journey to dreamland was swift and it was pleasurable at some point. But as the clock struck midnight, like as if it was on schedule, his nightmares would usually creep in his sleep, leaving him writing against his sheets.

Today, it was dark. Everywhere was dark. Ten couldn’t see a thing.

However, something was glowing from a far; it was the only thing that lightened the entire place. As if his feet had a mind on its own, Ten followed the light. It took him awhile but when he reached the source, he realized he wasn’t the only one there like on various occasions.

Today, he wasn’t alone.

He did not know who the other person was, though. All he could see was a shadow, a shadow he knew that did not belong to either his brother or his mother.

With its physique from the back, it had to be a man; a tall one. His back was turned to Ten, he was standing just a few steps away from him.

Ten called out for him, asked him for his name but no answer came, the stranger neither spared him a glance nor turned to his direction.

He did not know why he bothered but he tried yet again, calling the stranger loudly this time, wanting the other to answer and notice him. And notice him did he did.

The stranger’s attention was caught, as if he heard Ten’s voice for once. He slowly turned to Ten, and it was languidly agonizing. The latter was anticipating it, wanting to know what he looked like, wanting to ask why he was here, why he was in Ten’s dream.

But a face, the other did not have.

The portion where his face should have been was surrounded with black gist. It was sickening to look at; it made Ten tremble in fear.

And then suddenly, the man’s body was covered with smoke— where it came from, Ten did not know—, from head to toe, his entire stature was enveloped in the black substance. He vanished just like that, disappeared inside the confinements of the heavy fog.

But the smoke did not fade along with the man, it stayed, and it spread all throughout the space. The moment it touched Ten’s skin, it stung, it burned, it left a painful mark, and it was utterly excruciating. The smoke slowly made its way inside his body as he breathe, to his lungs and he was scorching from the inside in, the agony was maddening, he was drowning in heat, in nothingness.

Ten was going to die, he just knew it.

Ten then woke up with a jolt, his body was shaking violently, and his back was wet with sweat and he was gasping for air. His hand was grasping his chest, on the exact same spot where he thought was hurting just a while ago, clutching his shirt tightly. _I’m alright, I’m alright,_ he chanted. He tried to regain his breathing as he leaned his back against the headboard of his bed, wiping the moisture off his forehead with his hand.

Ten was used to nightmares, he has been having nightmares ever since he lost his family, but this one wasn’t like the usual ones.

It was different; this was different.

It felt so real. The pain felt so real. It actually hurt. The pain was insufferable.

And the most confusing part of everything was his nightmares would usually involve only his parents and brother. This was the first time that someone other than them appeared. It was weird. Why was he in Ten’s dream? Ten did not know who that person was.

_Who was that?_


	3. GOOD

Ten was usually a light sleeper; he was sensitive and would have been able to wake up when his alarm went off the first time. But knowing that his classes weren’t till 8 o’clock that morning, he decided to just ignore the irritating buzz of the clock and drift back to sleep; his awful nightmare had been keeping him awake and he was still tired.

But the sudden creak of the bed and the sharp dip of the mattress arose his still drowsy consciousness, and was met with a beaming Yuta leaning down on him when Ten slowly opened his eyes. Their faces were a few centimeters apart, Yuta’s breath barely ghosting just above his cheek . “Wake up, princess,” Yuta singsong and Ten jumped impulsively, his body jolted off until his back hit the wall. Good thing Yuta moved away marginally so that their foreheads hadn’t knocked into each other.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM AGAIN?”

“Waking you up?” Yuta answered innocently and if Ten wasn’t in a disheveled state, he would have smacked the Japanese male in the head for yet again intruding his private space.

“HOW DID YOU GET IN THIS TIME?” Ten wailed, quickly reaching for his blanket and used it as a shield to cover his clothed chest protectively. “I SWORE I LOCKED THE DOOR LAST NIGHT!”

“It’s a secret,” Yuta smirked and winked mischievously before he got off the other’s bed and landed on his feet, dusting his pants. “Now, get up and take a bath.”

“Is this gonna be normal thing with you?! Breaking in my room?!” Ten dropped onto his mattress, sighed deeply, rubbing his temple in vexation. He suddenly felt wearier than earlier. Only then did he realized that Yuta was already wearing his school uniform when Ten looked up and stared at him properly; a white undershirt beneath their black school jacket, the logo of the school elegantly embroidered on the right pocket of the chest area, a black and yellow striped tie, and a pair of black slacks. “C’mon, it’s still 7 o’clock. Our class isn’t until eight thirty.” Ten yawned, attempting to go back to sleep, but Yuta was quick to throw him a pillow in his face. Although taken aback by the unexpected attack, Ten threw the cushion back, yet Yuta’s reflex were incredibly notable so he dodged it before it hit him.

“But we still need to get breakfast,” Yuta pointed out. “The cafeteria only serves pancakes until 7:30 so you better get your ass out of bed. Doyoung already went ahead. He had an urgent meeting with the student council so he’ll meet us there instead.”

Ten let out a huff of exasperation. They only met yesterday but Yuta was starting to be a handful; Ten silently regretted being friends with him. Ten dragged himself off his bed, pacing slowly towards the bathroom, but not before rolling his eyes at Yuta when he caught sight of the smug grin on the latter’s face as Ten closed the door to the bathroom.

Some kind of friend he is.

* * *

 

 

 

“Yuta, can you chill?” Ten scolded lowly at the former walking beside him. He and Yuta were on their way to the cafeteria and Ten wasn’t certain if Yuta might have overdosed himself with coffee this early in the morning or something, because he really seemed hyper. He was loud, jumpy and kept skipping like a school girl, and it was getting on Ten’s nerves. How can someone be as jolly as him at 7 o’clock in the morning?

But of course, Yuta ignored him completely, continued prancing and even hummed an oddly familiar tone under his breath. He really was in such a good mood, Ten was curious on the reason why.

And all of a sudden, Yuta waved his hands in the air like an eager child as he noticed Doyoung at the far end of the room when they arrived, conversing with a few boys that surrounded him. “Oh, there’s Doyoung right there!” he exclaimed happily.

Yuta made a run for it, headed straight to Doyoung, leaving Ten in bewilderment at the former’s sense of urgency. The way the other suddenly jolted made Ten slightly stumble back. Damn, Yuta really needed to stop drinking too much caffeine. “Yuta, dammit!” he hissed in a hushed voice, not wanting anyone else to hear him.

As he was busy rambling to himself, still glued to the same spot, Ten hadn’t noticed the way the double doors behind him dramatically opened fully. However, Ten heard an audible gasp, and was able to catch the frightened looks his schoolmates had on their faces as they turned their heads away from his direction. It made Ten frown profoundly.

What was going on?

“Do you mind?” A deep, raspy voice, almost close to grumble came from behind, it shot a chill up his spine and Ten flinched involuntarily at the sound. The feeling from yesterday came flooding his senses, it was suddenly cold; it was like as if the temperature in the room instantly dropped and a gush of icy wind lingered the air.

Ten hurriedly spun around, his eyes widened simultaneously in shock at the familiar people who were standing just a few paces away from him; Lee Taeyong, Jung Jaehyun and Ji Hansol. The every people SJ had asked him to watch over, were standing in front of him all this time.

Oh.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

Taeyong was expressionless when he looked over at Ten, hands stuffed inside the pockets of his pants. Jaehyun, the brunette who was standing beside Taeyong, had an arm slung around the shorter male as he was just staring blankly at Ten. Wherein as, Hansol had a smirk plastered on his face, eyeing the younger from the top of his head to the soles on his black converse shoes. Ten hadn’t moved at all, he was frozen, gaping at the three demons like they were the most interesting specimen he had ever seen.

Ten might not be able to feel auras like demons could, but he was perceptive enough to feel the air that the three gave out was overwhelming and their demeanor was intense, especially when they were together. Ten almost felt powerless, his knees wanted to give out on him but he willed himself not to appear venerable for them to see and ridicule. He had goosebumps on his forearms and he took two rather loud swallows but his throat was still dry as a dessert.

They were powerful beyond words and Ten was close to cower in fear if not for his ego. All three were intimidating, especially Taeyong; he felt cold, freezing for some reason, and Ten swore he could see obscure dark smoke around him. Said gist was reeling Ten in, he felt like Taeyong was intentionally stealing his strength, like he was feeding out from him. It was like as if he was sucking the life out of the room, of Ten.

_So this is what it means to be a dementor, huh?_

“Hyung, I could feel what you’re doing,” Jaehyun suddenly said, probably meant for Taeyong. “Let’s not make a scene.”

“Don’t be like that, Tae. You’re scaring the poor kid,” it was Hansol’s cue to add, teasing laced his voice as his eyes landed on Ten after it left Taeyong’s. He had a hand on the dementor’s shoulder, possibly stopping him from killing anyone if he got carried away. Although there weren’t verbal commands, Taeyong relaxed straightaway, his eyes softened and Ten could breathe properly again. “And we wouldn’t want that.”

Hansol was lean, handsome, and tall, _really tall._  Ten only reached his shoulders and had to look up but he hadn’t stared at him straight at the eyes. The guy was Royalty after all, and also a Goblin. One wrong move and Hansol could murder him right then and there with a flick of his hand.

“Care to move?” another voice said and Ten was sure to an extent that it wasn’t from the other three since none of their lips moved.

Then it occurred to Ten that there was another person hidden behind Hansol’s form. Why hadn’t Ten noticed him when they came in the room? Hansol’s towering height might be overpowering but Johnny Seo was someone who grabbed attention even from far away.

The moment Ten’s eyes bored onto Johnny’s for the first time, and took in his physical features, Ten’s breath was caught almost instantly; it was like he was punched in the stomach, and was taken aback by the existence of the demon.

SJ had constantly reminded him how powerful Johnny was, how influential his family was, had given him enough information about the taller male that he could use to his advantage, and Yesung even provided him with a few pictures. But those mere photographs could never give Johnny’s beauty and bearing any justice; never came near to properly illustrate how attractive and alluring Johnny really was. 

Although it was going against everything he believed in as a child, Ten couldn’t deny the fact that Johnny might be the exact definition of perfection, even if there was no such thing. Ten couldn’t believe that this was the same demon everyone feared of－ everything about him looked so soft, not dangerous at all. From his light chocolate hue eyes to his silky soft looking hair; he was surreal, unearthly.

“Move,” Johnny commanded, an octave lower than his previous pitch, and Ten was close to collapsing on the spot.

It took a lot of courage and control from Ten to slowly move aside and allowed the group to pass through without much fuss, dropping his gaze onto the floor, somewhat afraid of meeting any of their stares.

The group brushed pass him as they made their way to their table, not bothering to look back at the awestruck boy following their backs as they left. Only when they were gone did Ten realized that he had been holding his breath all this time, his heart was hammering almost painfully in his chest, lungs desperate for air, so he took in a deep sigh. A hand then grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the side, a worried looking Doyoung greeted him when Ten turned around.

“Ten, are you alright?” Doyoung said as he rushed to the younger’s side when the four were gone. “Are you hurt?” concern lacing his voice as he checked the younger if he was physically well.

“I’m fine,” Ten managed to croak as he shook his head repeatedly, proud of himself for not shuttering. He was still recovering from the shock and it appeared on his face; he was pale, like he just saw a ghost.

“Thank goodness. I thought something happened to you,” Doyoung said in relief, ushering the younger to their table where Yuta was, several eyes following their movements, some envious and stunned at the freshman’s encounter with Johnny’s gang, and a few murmurs spread across the area. “One rarely comes across them and lived to tell the tale.”

“What’s special about those guys anyway?” Yuta asked casually when the two were now on their table. Doyoung made Ten sit down first and handed him a bottle of water to calm him down.

“Yuta, I’ve already told you these things,” Doyoung hissed but it lacked bite. “Don’t you ever listen?”

“Who was that?” Ten pried instead, coming in between the two before their banter escalated into a full scale fight.

“People who you should avoid,” another voice added and an unfamiliar figure stood before Ten, making the latter momentarily forget what he was supposed to say. A petite male, wearing their school’s uniform neatly, all prim and proper, was offering him a friendly yet timid smile.

“Oh guys, this is Moon Taeil. He is the president of the Student Council. He’s a third year,” Doyoung said. “Hyung, this is Yuta, my childhood friend, and Ten,” he gestured towards the two.

Taeil nodded his head and stared at them intently for a few seconds, engraving their faces in his memory. “Nice to meet you.”

* * *

 

 

Even at the mouth watering sight of delicious food laid out before him, Ten just couldn’t force himself to eat. The fresh retention of his encounter earlier with the four demons made him lost his appetite, there was this unsettling feeling sitting on the pit of his stomach and it was peculiar.

He was nervous somehow; his hands were still trembling, slightly sweaty, and the temperature in the area was still below than normal. And Ten can’t seem to avert his eyes away from Johnny’s table just across the room. He was looking at them attentively, watching their move as they ate breakfast— it was the reason why he came to Labyrinth in the first place, so he better do it right.

But no matter he looks at it, there was no compound reason as to why Johnny could be the person SJ told him about before.

The way he smiled as he conversed with Hansol, the way he ruffled Jaehyun’s hair, and the way he listened to Taeyong as he spoke, wasn’t anywhere near evil. There wasn’t anything dark about him. He seemed normal.  _Too normal._

But the way the other students avoided batting an eye at Johnny and his friends, or at their direction, like they were some kind of an unwanted and scary plague was confusing Ten.

How can Johnny be so dangerous?

And by cue, as if the demon could sense Ten looking at him from afar for awhile now, Johnny turned his head and his gaze caught Ten’s. And the latter wasn’t sure if he was seeing things but he saw Johnny’s lips curled upward into a smirk when he caught Ten gawking at him. Ten felt his cheeks heating up and he looked away, was first to break the contact, and turned his attention back on his food with much difficulty.

What the hell was wrong with Ten?

“Can’t take your eyes off him?” a voice, which belonged to Taeil, said. The older was looking at Ten, watching the younger’s flushed face with a small grin, amusement apparent on his features.

“W-what?” Ten muttered, embarrassed at being caught in the act. He cleared his voice rather audibly, trying to chase away the lump that formed in his throat due to his nerves.

“It’s alright. Everybody could relate, no one could resist an incubus like him after all,” Taeil explained, his tone was soft and gentle.

“He’s not my type,” Yuta took it as an opportunity and chimed in to join the conversation, looking up from his plate of pancakes, glancing over at the table across theirs and turned back to regard Ten, he frowned feebly. “He looks arrogant. Who is he?”

“That’s Johnny Seo,” Doyoung answered in Taeil’s stead, gestured with his right hand, but careful enough for no one to see besides them. “I think you know him, Yuta.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about him,” the Japanese male hummed knowingly, bobbing his head in affirmation. “His name is well known across Japan.”

“Yeah, but not just in Japan though. He has made quite a name for himself all over the world.”

“How?” Although Ten already knew the answer to his own question, he decided to act oblivious, not wanting the others to find out that he was aware of Johnny’s character and social stature even before he came to Labyrinth. His cover will be blown and that will be the end of his mission if they found anything weird about him.

“For what he is,” Taeil answered, shrugged his shoulders impassively. “Johnny Seo is half incubus, half wolf. He’s an alpha, a strong one and his incubi blood is close to royalty. Either one of his lineages is strong enough, but he’s both so he is powerful,” the older continued. “He’s the first one ever to be born like that.”

“You’ll be better off staying away from him. He’s bad news,” Doyoung warned, eyeing Ten and Yuta simultaneously with caution. “His friends as well.”

Their was something off about the timbre of his friends’ voices, their warnings sounded serious and Ten was contemplating whether to heed them or not.

* * *

 

 

They continued eating breakfast like usual, casual conversation came and went until Doyoung brought up a certain topic to discuss.

“Taeil-hyung and I are wondering if you want to join the student council, Ten,” Doyoung started. “We’re currently short on members and we need all the help we could get.”

“What?”

“C’mon. It’ll be fun,” the older urged, trying his hardest to sound convincing. “Me and Taeil-hyung run almost the entire council. And Yuta’s in it as well.”

“I am?” Yuta asked, shocked at the assertion, hearing it for the first time. “I don’t remember ever agreeing to something like that.”

“Yes, you are. Don’t argue with me,” Doyoung snapped at the Japanese male before returning to Ten. “Please, agree to it, Ten! I promise, there aren’t anymore demons in the council besides us.” The way Doyoung’s orbs twinkle in both pleading and importance made it hard for Ten to not say yes, and not give in to his whim. Taeil didn’t add anything, but he was staring at Ten, and gave him a nod in silent encouragement, maybe.

Ten thought about it for a while, considered the proposition, if it would be beneficial in his side or not. After having been training under Donghae’s guidance for almost his entire life, he learned that connections were everything in numerous situations.

In order to carry out his mission, he needed connections, and since he was a human and didn’t knew anyone and the thought of getting close to other demons just to obtain valuable information was repulsive, it would be a heavy task for Ten to do alone. And also, joining the council who were entitled to some privileges didn’t seem like a bad idea, he could move freely without anyone getting suspicious. “Fine, I’ll give it a shot.”

Doyoung’s face lit up in joy, he grasped the younger’s hands together when he reached from them and shook them in gratitude. “Thank you! Thank you! I swear, you would not regret it!”

Unable to come up with a retort, Ten could only smile in return.

“What do mean why there aren’t any demons?” Taeil asked curiously when Doyoung let go of Ten, confused at the younger’s choice of words. “Why? Is Ten uncomfortable with demons?”

“Oh, that? He is. Ten’s human!” Yuta answered, almost too quick for Ten’s liking.

“Yuta! I told you to stop telling that to anyone you see!” Doyoung rebuked, brought a palm and let it ran down his face in frustration. Yuta really doesn’t know when to shut up. It was a good thing his voice wasn’t too loud for anybody else to hear except for their table.

“He is?” Taeil sounded genuinely surprised at the revelation. “Huh. Strange, I hadn’t guessed it.”

“Can’t you feel his aura?”

Taeil shook his head. “I can’t feel anything from him.”

Ten made a face at the affirmation. There it was again. The same thing Yuta said to him yesterday when they first met. Why couldn’t they feel what Ten was? Why couldn’t they when Ten was just merely human? 

It was obscure, completely unheard of.

“You dislike demons, Ten?” Taeil asked without remorse.

Ten searched his eyes, looking for a tinge of judgment or prejudice in them or some sort of emotion to make him pull a front and stay guarded like he usually does, but he saw none. Taeil’s expression was still the same as earlier, unreadable and resigned. “Sort of. It’s a personal thing,” he retorted, rubbing the back of his nape sheepishly.  

“That’s ironic,” Taeil commented, nodding his head in understanding. “You coming to a demon school when you hate them.”

Although he had grown comfortable around Yuta and Doyoung, even to Taeil, in the short time span that he had known them, Ten still made sure that he was careful with his words, calculating them in his head, not wanting the others to be wary of him when he had other intentions intact, not wanting them to notice every time he spew out lies for the sake of his mission. “My parents forced me here.”

And then, Taeil’s face slackened, and for the first time that day, his smile reached his eyes, was authentic and wasn’t default like the previous ones. “I know how you feel.”

After that, Taeil’s phone suddenly ringed, the sound buzzed around the air, and it made the older shot to his feet, retrieved the device he had hidden inside the pocket of his pants. His face scrunched in hidden irritation, the corner of his eyes twitched as he gazed onto the screen, eyeing the contact name that had intruded their conservation. “Excuse me for a minute, I have to answer this,” he bid before he took his leave, and left the three by the table to head on outside.

“He’s human,” Ten thought when Taeil was out of earshot, not noticing that he had voiced that out instead of keeping it to his mind.

Doyoung met Ten’s eyes, his forehead was creased faintly, puzzled by the boy’s sudden proclamation. “Who?”

“Taeil-hyung,” Ten answered honestly. There was really something different about Taeil, Ten felt it immediately when the older introduced himself, he couldn’t pin point what it was exactly but it was there. It was a peaceful feeling, a heavenly one; it was strange. Ten didn’t feel threatened at all by him despite not knowing what he was. And he couldn’t figure out what Ten was like Yuta did. It was odd, very odd.

“How do you know that?” Yuta asked.

“Gut feeling.”

“Well,” Doyoung trailed off, not forgetting to lower his voice in case someone was eavesdropping on them. “Taeil isn’t exactly a demon. But he isn’t human as well.”

Everyone in school knew what Taeil was, but since the two were new so they were unaware. Yuta’s powers were weak so he wasn’t able to decipher what sort of creature Taeil was at first glance, his aura was masked by something pure, something thick and white that protected his being like a blanket. Doyoung wasn’t able to decode what the older was if Taeil hadn’t said so himself.

“Then what is he?” Ten probed, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Doyoung wasn’t sure if he should tell them, maybe Taeil would be uncomfortable with it. But if Doyoung thought about it, Taeil wasn’t the secretive type, he never hid what he was before, why start now?

The older heaved a breath before he answered, “an angel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yey for Taeil being an angel! XD


	4. Pull Me Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Johnny and Hansol on their first day (same day as Ten arrived at Labyrinth)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got myself a beta and I'm so happy 'cause they're literally one of the many nct fic-writers that I respect so, so much. I still can't believe I'm working with someone amazing so I'm freaking out right now. TT Much love to my beta for reading this through!

 

“What the－?”

Breathy moans and pants, the occasional animalistic groans,  and the continuous and repetitive surges of _baby_ , _oh_   _yes_ , _more,_   _faster baby, harder,_  spread the room and Hansol grimaced at the sound of an unfamiliar voice as he entered his friend’s room without warning, appearing in his living room like smoke, before the gist vanished in thin air. Goblins were known to be capable of many things, teleporting anywhere at will was one of them, and Hansol used his powers easily in how he saw fit.

But it seemed like using it now was a pretty bad idea.

Vulgar and wanton high pitched screams echoed through the walls, without remorse, tainting his long gone innocence, and Hansol groaned awkwardly. He was ready to bolt the place if he hadn’t been used to his best friend’s antics and his very active sex life for all these years.

With a sudden wave of a hand as he brought it up, time passed by quickly, the hands of the clock rapidly spun; minutes turned to seconds in a heartbeat. When he dropped his hand to the side, Johnny was now standing in front of him, towel loosely wrapped around his waist, highlighting the deep v line that lead to his navel, his hair was wet, drops of water rolled down his broad and lean chest, and he looked like he had just come out from the shower.

The other male didn’t seem shocked when he saw Hansol in his room, already had a clue on what the older had done. He shook his head and continued on drying his hair with another towel he had on hand and snickered at the elder’s direction.“Turned time again, huh?”

Hansol smirked in reply. “Took you long enough. Got tired of waiting,” he said, and plummeted down onto the nearby couch, crossing his long limb over the other. “The opening ceremony ended by the way. And seriously, already banging someone when it’s just the first day? So productive of you.”

“Those things are boring. Who told you to wait up for me, anyway?” the other deadpanned as he clicked his tongue. “And besides, it was a nice fuck.”

If the younger was trying to rub his sexlife in Hansol’s face, it wasn’t going to work. Hansol wasn’t going to be swayed by the younger’s boasting. But damn, if only he didn’t know that Johnny was most likely going to ask for pay back and plan his excruciating death, Hansol would punch that proud grin off the younger’s smug face. “I didn’t need to know,” Hansol hissed and made a face before he scrunched it in disgust as a particular scent caught his nose. “It smells like sex in here, it makes me want to puke.”

“Bastard,” Johnny snorted, unimpressed, then suddenly paced back to his room. “Still got to change.”

“Hurry up slow poke. I’m hungry. And Jaehyun sent a text. He’s asking us to come to the cafeteria to have lunch. Let’s get going.”

“Got it. Wait up.”

 

* * *

 

 

Hansol was pacing around Johnny’s room, scanning the vicinity to keep him preoccupied as he waited for Johnny. But Hansol got bored instantly. The wide area was the same as last year, and the year before that; similar to his own, even the furniture. Johnny might not be picky, but Hansol would have preferred a much bigger room. The extra space would be desirable, and even if he could get it if he demanded, Hansol could cope. It wasn’t in his nature to use his influence to get what he wanted. Hansol didn't roll like that. He could get it by other means, not just by dragging his family name and his social class into the picture.

But in contrast to Hansol’s, Johnny’s living room was bare, no picture frames on the table, no portraits, nothing. This has been his room for years but it was still empty, Hansol never questioned him because of it though.

Hansol knew Johnny long enough to know his limits, boundaries he knew he shouldn’t cross  between them. Their families were relatively friendly with each other, they were acquainted through that, but they grew close on their own nonetheless. They might be best friends, but there were a lot of things that made the older cautious of Johnny. He knew better than to test the younger’s patience. Hansol didn’t want to die, not just yet.

Then his eyes landed on the small table in the middle of the living and noticed that Johnny left his phone there. It suddenly lit up, a familiar tone rang and a flash of numbers appeared on screen. “Your phone’s ringing,” Hansol shouted, for Johnny to hear from the other room.

“Leave it,” Johnny replied when he got out his room, freshly dressed, and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just dad.”

“You still don’t talk to him?” The older titled his head to the side after he went back to sit on the couch.

“He’s been pestering me for weeks about some business I have no care about.” Johnny shrugged impassively, reached for his phone and turned it off, putting it inside the pocket of his jeans. “It’s irritating.”

“Running away from Daddy?” the older teased, wagging his brows suggestively. “So bad ass of you, Johnny.”

Johnny approached him from across the area, and when he stood infront of Hansol, he gradually leaned down, until their eyed were on the same level. He took the elder’s chin in between his fingers, made Hansol look at him, eyeing the older with such intensity that it was overwhelming, their breaths tangling in the air. “You’re the one to talk when you’re practically avoiding your Mommy just the same,” Johnny snorted as he let go of his hold on Hansol and backed away. “So naughty of you, Hansol.”

Hansol could only smirk mischievously at the assertion. He wasn’t even going to deny it. “Touché.”

 

* * *

 

 

They made their way to the cafeteria not long after Johnny changed into casual clothes and slipped on his shoes; a wife beater, washed jeans and a pair of Nike air max. He hadn’t finished unpacking his stuff ever since they arrived yesterday so everything in his room was still a mess, grabbed the first set of clothes he could get his hands on when he got dressed. They didn’t have classes that afternoon so he hadn’t bothered changing into his uniform. Hansol was dressed just the same as he did, almost identical but sported all black colored clothing, from head to toe.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, as the double doors opened dramatically, the room fell in deep silence that a needle being dropped could even be heard from far away, chatter seized, and everyone ducked his heads, evading eye contact with the newcomers. Hansol wasn’t fazed by the cold treatment, neither was Johnny. It was something he had grown used to.

It was the same thing as before; the smell of distrust and fear was apparent and lingered the air, it hadn’t escaped Johnny’s sensitive nose. He smirked inwardly at the thought; the scent of fear was intoxicating, it was quite a turn on actually. He loved it, craved it more than anything, even more than sex. He liked being feared, being respected by force. And besides, Johnny detested interacting with people he had no business with so it spared him the hassle when they avoided him first.

They walked towards their usual table, Hansol following closely behind. Jaehyun was already there when they arrived, was sitting by himself.

_Where was Taeyong?_

“Finally. You made us all wait,” the youngest of their group scowled, not even bothering to look up to confirm if it really was them, eyes fixated on his phone. “What took you so long?”

“Johnny’s fault,” Hansol answered idly. “He made me wait for him when I went to his room. He seemed busy.”

Only then did Jaehyun spare the two a glance and looked up, he grimaced and shook his head disapprovingly. “Had sex again, hyung?”

“An incubi has to feed,” Johnny answered shamelessly as he sat down beside Jaehyun, the younger scooting slightly to give him some space. “Where’s Taeyong?”

“Went somewhere. I don’t know where to exactly. Can’t feel him near,” Jaehyun answered and shrugged his shoulders. “He already ordered food for us before he left.”

“Wait,” Johnny said, closing his eyes for a second then opening them again, his usual light hued irises turned silver-ish when he peered at the two, like gray space, almost glowing from the light of the room. The sight fascinated Jaehyun; regardless of his intimidating Alpha demeanor, Johnny’s incubi powers were undeniably ethereal. “He’s  at the field. Talking to someone.”

“Who?”

“You already know who,” Johnny smirked knowingly which made them quirk a questioning brow. “He’ll be back.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So listen, Versace on the Floor has been playing…”

Hansol resisted the urge to roll his eyes the moment Jaehyun opened his mouth about that same darn song he had been talking about since summer break. How many times had that familiar title been brought up to any of their usual conversations? If Taeyong were here, he would have blown another fuse; it would have been catastrophic, Hansol decided.

When Jaehyun was engrossed about a certain topic, he’d never stop, nobody could stop him. It was almost impossible. The younger had taken a liking to pop music lately; he would casually bring up the latest tracks he had been listening to, some foreign songs he’d want to recommend to his hyungs, giving his own feedbacks about the production, style, some criticism here and there, and alike.

Hansol tried listening, he did, for the younger’s amusement. But Jaehyun was spewing out terminologies Hansol hadn’t even heard of before and reckoned that it was better to not care anymore and let Jaehyun be.

So as Jaehyun was going on and on about how Bruno Mars, or whoever it was, may have possibly released the best song known to man and demons alike, something unexpected happened.

As he was in the middle of ravishing through his salad for lunch, Hansol wasn’t definite on what it was or how it came to be, but for the first time in awhile, something, or rather, someone caught his attention.

It was a magnetic pull, a strong one, that made Hansol turn his head uncharacteristically and put his fork down on the table, blocked out whatever nonsense chatter Jaehyun was going on about, until he found the source, where it came from exactly. His eyes landed on a group of boys unintentionally, and it stayed there for some unknown reason.

There were three of them, they were heading to the food queue to get lunch like everyone else, they were talking to themselves, too far away for Hansol to hear, happy smiles plastered on their faces as they conversed.

There was nothing special or out of the ordinary about them, nothing notable, but why Hansol couldn’t look away even if he wanted to was a huge mystery, even to himself.

And apparently, Johnny had noticed it as well.

The air was chilly, hardly palpable, but Johnny’s Alpha senses were keen and he had deciphered the sudden fluctuation of room temperature. And it could only mean one thing, Hansol was up to something. Besides Taeyong, only Hansol had the ability to do something as spectacular as controlling the weather and it was definitely his doing why the area felt cold.

“Hey, is something up?” Johnny asked, detected the elder’s gaze somewhere else. “Who are you looking at?”

“Nothing?” Hansol answered to satiate the younger’s curiosity but not taking his eyes off the three. Although their group was distant with the rest of the school, Hansol had never seen before, they were probably younger than them; freshmen, new meat. “I just found something interesting.”

Johnny followed his line of sight. “Who?” 

There were a lot of people that came flooding the room, in search of food, and he wasn’t certain who Hansol meant.

 

* * *

 

 

In Hansol’s eyes, auras were just simply white and black, nothing more. It was like an array; white for humans and black for demons. But there were certain distinctions and aspects in their auras that made demons differ from the other.

But those guys … they were really something else.

The tall one was the first one he saw, he was already familiar, someone Hansol had seen a bunch of times before.

 _Wasn’t that Jaehyun’s classmate?_  

Hansol saw black when he observed the other male intently. Though the color was lightly fading and unsteady, it was invisibly swirling in mid air and it would disappear one second then reappear in the next. Hansol knew what it was the very second he first he laid his eyes on it.

He was a half vampire, Hansol was sure of it.

The next one, the one standing close to the taller boy, was in the middle of a dialogue as he spoke to the one of his right, his smile reaching till his eyes, showing off his pearly whites as the conversation proceeded. He looked bright, and was a jolly sort of person. He was cute, Hansol thought unconsciously.

But his power was frail, rather faint, Hansol noted. It was a pity; Hansol disliked weak demons. But there was something odd in the boy’s aura that made Hansol give him another glance . It was mixed in something else, something more vibrant than just simple being a dull shade of black.

An Elf.

That made sense, Hansol thought. Elves were feeble but they were intriguing creatures, their loyalty could compare to no other. And this certain elf had managed to haul Hansol’s attention nonetheless.

And then the last one.

Hansol frowned as his eyes were on him.  The smallest of the three, he could not determine what he was. He saw neither white or black, he saw nothing, and that was the first time that something like that happened to Hansol. His aura was latent, it was strange.

“Who?” Johnny asked, followed where his gaze had been on and probably saw what he did.

“Them,” he answered weakly, almost like a whisper, but it was somehow careful and with conviction. “Both of them.”

And he knew that Johnny understood what he meant.

“A bunch of first years? Your taste has downgraded, hyung,” Jaehyun roasted as he finally caught on that his hyungs weren’t listening to him anymore and turned to where they were looking at. He smirked as he saw the group. “And it seems like they’re friends with Doyoung.”

“Shut up,” Hansol retorted and went back to continue his meal. But Johnny didn’t; wasn’t fazed and hadn’t looked away when the other two did.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Where are you going?” Hansol asked as Johnny suddenly stood up. They were done with lunch just awhile ago and were just waiting for Taeyong to arrive. The latter had been taking so long, and Jaehyun was starting to get impatient. “You’re going back already?”

“Gonna find something to eat. I’ve been hungrier these past few days.”

“Something to eat? You mean _someone,_ ” Jaehyun snickered. “You and your inability to control your own urges.”

Johnny smirked smugly and shrugged. “Well, an incubus has to feed on something.”

Hansol rolled his eyes in exasperation at his best friend. “Have fun,” the eldest idly said as he waved him off. “Don’t kill anyone.”

“No promises.” And he was off, made his way back to his dorm, eyes busy scanning the area to see if there were any people around so he could orchestrate a plan to lure them in, just like what he did earlier. Getting someone was always a piece of cake, his incubi powers were ridiculously potent and it had never failed him once. People were more than willing to drop on their knees, beg him to take them ruthlessly, in whatever way he wanted without protest, and all it took was just one stare and a flick of a finger. His carnal pull was irresistible.

He licked his lips sensually at the thought of getting a good fuck before the day ends. His incubi side had an unstoppable sex drive lately  and it was getting greedier by the day but Johnny wasn’t going to complain; getting laid cleared his mind somehow.   

But there was one particular person that popped into Johnny’s mind as he was searching for someone (and he eventually did) to satiate his lust and it took him aback, considering that he just saw that person today for the first time.

_Seems like I’ll be visiting someone’s dream tonight._


	5. It's Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much love to my beta for reading this thru. ^^ Btw, thanks for the comments and kudos on every chapter so far, guys. I really appreciate it. orz

“So when are you going to tell me your name?” Ten asked softly, but loud enough for the other to hear. “And why aren’t you saying anything?”

But the man who was standing just in front of Ten, who had his back turned to him, didn’t answer, had not even given any sort of reaction to the query; he hadn’t been for some time. Ten already knew where his lousy attempt of a conversation was leading to so he wondered why he even tried when he was aware that the other will most likely ignore him, like he didn’t exist.

_Well, this is a dream after all, anything could happen._

Yeah, it was just another one of those, a dream; the same one as before. That very tall figure kept appearing inside his head out of nowhere, messing with his thoughts and yet, he had been doing nothing all this time, he just stood there in silence, hadn’t bothered to even look at Ten. It wasn’t a nightmare though, none of that, nothing bad had happened to him while he was asleep unlike the first time. Ten was grateful, at least his dreams didn’t keep him up on most days.

But Ten found it quite strange, he had been having the same dream over and over again ever since he came to Labyrinth. It was like a cycle, repetitive and continuous; like asymptotic lines, approaching something but never quite making it, extending till infinity. It was frustrating, seeing the same thing every night, being at the same setting, and Ten was getting bored from it. Who wouldn’t?

So Ten would simply just stay put and waited till morning came, where his alarm clock would ring and it would wake him up.

 

* * *

 

 

“You look like shit,”  Yuta blurted out when he saw Ten’s form by the doorway of their classroom.  “Well, you always look like shit anyway.”

“Gee, thanks for pointing that out.” Ten rolled his eyes at him before he made his way to his desk, dropped his backpack on top of it and plummeted down on the seat.

“Didn’t have enough sleep again?” the other probed as he noticed how tired Ten looked and the dark circles under his eyes.

Ten sighed deeply when the question came. He had been sleep deprived, woke up in the middle of the night again and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep, barely getting enough shut eye and it was worsening; it was getting unhealthy at some point. “I never do at this school.”

“You should really go to clinic and ask for some pills to help you with that,” Yuta said as he casually reached for the other to check his temperature, Ten’s flesh felt warm under Yuta’s palm so the latter decided that he wasn’t sick. “I don’t know how the human body functions but it could work. It works for us so it could for you.”

Yuta might have been a dickhead most of time, but he really did know just the right words to say when the situation called for it; Ten was slightly thankful.

“Yeah, I’ll try hopping by later,” Ten said as he pressed his head against his desk, in a wish to get some rest before their teacher arrived. Yuta hadn’t said anything after that, turned his attention back to his manga and allowed Ten the bit of time to take nap. But the wooden table felt hard against his cheek and Ten was uncomfortable, it wasn’t easy to just doze off. He needed his bed.

So Ten slowly turned to his right, head still glued on the desk but he had his eyes wide open; Ten’s mind was somewhere else as he stared out of the window at the side of the room. It had been two weeks already but he hadn’t seen Johnny or his gang of friends anywhere within the school, it was like as if they didn’t existed in the first place. Was it normal, for them to just disappear in thin air?

Ten wasn’t worried about them, _especially_ not for Johnny, Ten was just slightly depressed that he wouldn’t be able to do what he came to Labyrinth for. Besides all four being Ten’s upperclassmen, the petite male had no clue what sort of classes each of them took. Ten frowned, he could already imagine the disappointed looks the SJ members would give him if they ever knew that he still hadn’t found out anything notable about them. His mission was going to fail  most likely if it continued.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been two weeks into the school year and Ten found Minho’s class to be the most pleasant; the older was fun and cracked alot of humorous jokes in between his lectures which made the whole idea of learning more enjoyable.

“Ten, can I speak to you for a minute?” Minho asked when class was dismissed for the day, as Ten and Yuta were headed for the door and only a few students remained in the room to fix their stuff and proceed to their dorms. Minho managed to catch the two before they left. “It’s urgent.”

There was a glint in Minho’s doe shaped eyes that suggested he wanted it to be just between them, rather personal, and Yuta was quick to pick up what the older meant. “I’ll wait for you at the hallway,” he proposed. Ten nodded his head.

“So how was your stay here so far?” Minho finally asked when Yuta was out of earshot and it was just them. Although they see each other almost everyday in class, they are rarely given the opportunity to talk so openly. “Anything you want to tell me about?”

“Nothing worth telling actually,” the younger answered. “And yes, I’m doing alright. Still adjusting but nothing I can’t manage. Thank you for asking.”

“That’s good,” the older nodded. “You’ve been talking to Donghae-hyung lately?”

“I haven’t gotten the chance to call anyone back home.”

“No wonder he called me last night, asking how you were since you hadn’t called him at all,” Minho snorted then shook his head and Ten felt guilty because of it. Ten promised Donghae and Jaemin that he would call them frequently but he hadn’t been able to keep his word. Well, Ten told them everything and he was afraid that he would tell them every exact detail if they talked, even about his dreams, and Ten did not want them to worry about vague matters he still had control of. “He asked me to remind you about your mission.”

“I know, I haven’t forgotten.” How could Ten forget when it had been the only thing he could think about ever since he came to that forsaken school?

“He’s just worried,” Minho started and shrugged his shoulders. “Donghae-hyung has always been like that. He’s told me alot about you before and I can see why he’s being protective. He will most likely come after me if something happens to you here under my watch so just give him a call, okay?”

Ten couldn’t help himself but chuckle at the statement. It was so like Donghae to threaten other people for his sake, it was very endearing. Ah, Ten suddenly missed him. He made a mental reminder to call the older over the weekend.  “I could protect myself just fine, sir.”

The assertion made Minho smile in fond, certain memories from his prime and youth flooded his mind and the nostalgia made him want to see his other friends besides Donghae that he had lost contact with through the years when he became a teacher at the academy. “You’re so much like him, you know that? Blood related or not, you’re really his son.”

Ten smiled, he took it as a compliment. “I’ve been told.”

 

* * *

 

 

“What took you guys so long?” Doyoung asked when the door to the Student Council room flung open and in came Ten, with Yuta following closely behind.

“Sorry, Mr. Choi wanted to talk to me for a bit.” Ten went straight to his desk－yeah, his own desk－and put his bag on the table. He loosed his necktie－ he felt like he could breathe properly again－ then proceeded to take off his school jacket and draped it at the back of his chair.

“Mr. Choi? About?” Doyoung had his brows raised in question.

“Just some school work, no big deal,” Ten answered with finality, playing his words over in his head to make sure he hadn’t said anything suspicious.

But Doyoung was perceptive, the idea of Ten talking to Mr. Choi was absurd, considering that the younger hated interacting with demons other than them. And Doyoung was sure that Minho was one of their kind. He turned to look at Yuta, asking for an elaborated explanation since he was with Ten when it happened. However, Yuta only shook his head dismissively and Doyoung took it as a sign to let it be and heaved a deep sigh. “Anyway, Yuta,” he called, “can you sort those files for me?” He pointed on the stack of papers he had on his table that needed to be arranged. He planned on doing it by himself earlier but what else would Yuta be good for? “It needs to be done as soon as possible.”

“Why me? Ask Ten instead!” the other whined in protest as he saw just how many unorganized papers were scattered over Doyoung’s desk. It was bound to take a life time even if he started now, and Yuta wasn’t even trying to exaggerate the whole ordeal.

“Stop arguing with me, for pete’s sake.” Doyoung rolled his eyes at the other. It wasn’t _that_ much work anyway. Yuta was certainly overreacting. “Besides, I already have something to ask Ten to do as well.”

“Fine.” Yuta huffed in defeat as he immediately went to Doyoung’s desk to start on his task. Yuta was sure to an extent that Doyoung only asked them to be in the student council because he wanted to boss them around or to treat them as his own personal slaves unlike his previous alibi to get Ten to join. And the vampire was really enjoying the privilege.

The ungrateful bossy bastard, Yuta thought.

“So, what do you need?”Ten asked when he approached the older male, waited for Doyoung to tell him what he wanted so Ten could leave. He was already tired and he needed to sleep, even just for a few minutes at best, and not to mention the insane amount of homework he had to get done for tomorrow’s classes. Math was killing him.

“Can you look for Taeil-hyung?” Doyoung answered when his eyes finally left Yuta’s fuming back, amused that he was able to stir him up. “He left earlier since the chairman called for him but he wasn’t come back yet and it’s been an hour. There are some important papers he needs to sign and it needs to be done today.”

“Sure, I could do that.”

“Thanks Ten. You’re a life saver!”

“Hey, I’m helping you as well,” Yuta chimed in, fake betrayal in his tone. “You should thank me, too.”

“Shut up, Yuta.”

Ten barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the two’s nonsense banter. They always fought and there was never a day that they didn’t get on each other’s throat.

 _How are they still even friends at this state?_ It was a mystery that Ten would never want to uncover, not ever.

“Anyway,” Doyoung remembered as he turned to Ten, “you know the way to the chairman’s office, right? Maybe Taeil-hyung is just around the area, you could look for him there.”

The petite male hummed in affirmation. “I think I’m familiar with the way. Is that all?”

“Yeah, that’s all. Just tell him to come back as soon as possible if you see him.”

“Gotcha,” Ten replied and he was out the door a second after.

 

* * *

 

 

Ten made his way down the hall easily, searching for the chairman’s office which he was sure to be at the end, before making a turn. Classes had ended for the day and the corridors were deserted, much to his pleasure. Ten didn’t want to run into a demon while he was by himself. He was usually with Yuta and Doyoung most of the time and the two masked out his aura with theirs so he never got into trouble before. And he did not want to go through one now.

When Ten was near the chairman’s office, the door to the room suddenly swung opened and out came the familiar looking Taeil, his shoulders slightly hunched forward and he seemed tired.

His meeting with the chairman might have just finished, Ten believed.

He wanted to approach him, to call the older out, but his voice died inside his throat before he had the chance to speak aloud when another figure followed the elder’s back and closed the door when he came out.  Ten did see Taeil, but he was with someone. And Ten knew who that familiar bearing belonged to.

It was Lee Taeyong.

_Why are they together?_

From where he stood, it would seem like Taeil was about to leave but Taeyong held onto his arm with urgency before he could, preventing the other from moving which startled the angel.

It was never in Ten’s nature to pry and butt into other people’s business but he knew that the conversation that the two were having wasn’t pleasant at all. They seemed like they were fighting, Taeyong had slightly raised his voice, a timbre higher than his usual one, it gave a sort of arrogant and overlooking feel but Taeil didn’t seem like backing down from the verbal argument, his face still remained impassive and unreadable.

 _What are they even arguing about?_ Ten was clueless.

Faint yet visible black smoke was coming out from the dementor’s body like a sort of steam, loomed above his head in swirls until the whole thing thickened , and the sight threw Ten aback. Taeyong was doing it again; sucking the life out of everything within his radar.

However, Taeil seemed unfazed. The older stood his ground and remained unbothered although Ten himself was struggling, even when he was at a safe distance from the two. They were so focused on the other that they hadn’t been able to detect Ten’s presence at all. Ten felt his body go light, his vision went hazy, and everything seemed like it was spinning before him. Taeyong’s powerful demeanor was enough to knock him off his feet if he tried.

_Wasn’t Taeil-hyung even afraid of him?_

It was dangerous, Ten started panicking inside his head, his senses were on high alert. Taeil was bound to get hurt if he didn’t move or run away. What if Taeyong weakened him? Or worse, killed him on the spot?

Although defenseless, Ten would not allow that to happen, he would never let someone get hurt in front of him again.

Ten didn’t know what got into him but his feet moved on their own, like they had free-will, he was scrambling to think of a way to help Taeil. But what could he do, a mere human, with no powers whatsoever, when faced with one of the most powerful demons in the school? Ten hoped he wouldn’t die at least.

“Don’t interrupt them,” a rumble came flippantly from behind Ten, a hand held on to his wrist, keeping the shorter male in place and stopped him on his tracks. “Mind your own business.”

And it was as if the world stood at a standstill when Ten turned his head and to say he wasn’t shocked when he was met by Johnny’s incisive gaze it would be the understatement of the century.

_Johnny?_

Ten’s breath was knocked out of him in some sense when Johnny’s eyes met his. Something flickered in Johnny’s eyes, his irises changed shades and if Ten wasn’t so scared by the demon’s overwhelming presence, he would have thought that the taller man was undeniably beautiful.

Unable to come up with a response, his voice practically died on him, Ten could only gape at the other male. He was ridiculously tall, his height was towering and Ten had to look up. And just what Ten first thought when he saw him, Johnny was unquestionably handsome.

_Is he even real?_

Johnny’s firm gaze on Ten hadn’t simmered down a few seconds later and it was incredibly intense, it was suffocating on Ten’s part. The vice grip Johnny had on the younger tightened marginally and he could actually hear Johnny growling under his breath. His eyes were dilated and they kept changing colors by the second. Ten couldn’t say anything though, couldn’t ask him to let him go.

“Johnny, let go of him.”

Distracted by the alluring demon before him, Ten hadn’t perceived that Taeil had made his way towards them, along with Taeyong.  Only then did Ten notice Hansol standing behind Johnny, watching their interaction intently with a serious stare and folded arms.

_Had he been there all this time? When did that happen?_

The sudden interruption had managed to shift Johnny’s attention away from Ten and he turned to Taeil.  “Why do you care about this kid, huh Taeil?” he growled lowly and bared his teeth, gave off his usual Alpha stench that demanded utter submission to his wishes and selfish whims. Ten almost dropped to his knees when the other’s pheromones caught his nose; it was strong, and it messed with Ten’s head nonetheless. Taeil seemed to be feeling the effect of Johnny’s act a few seconds later, Ten saw the elder’s body slightly wobbled.

Taeyong instinctively took a step forward, to shield Taeil’s body from Johnny’s, but Taeil held out a hand with much effort, clearly telling the other that he didn’t need his help in handling the situation.

Ten could only look back and frown at the two, witnessing the silent war going on between them. Taeil was fearless, without a doubt, Ten thought. The older was going up against strong demons－ first, Taeyong, now, Johnny－ when he was just an average angel and it was very remarkable. How Taeil was able to do that, Ten did not know.

“Just let him go,” Taeil said, stern and decisive. There was something in Taeil’s tone that made it sound authoritive and Johnny did not like it, not one bit. Johnny’s gaze pierced Taeil’s so sharply that it could cut. But nonetheless, Johnny took the command in stride before letting go of his clasp on Ten’s hand, regarded the younger when their shoulders brushed faintly against each other, “Your name?” Johnny asked.

Although confused and stunned, “T-Ten,” the latter managed to croak out.

Johnny hadn’t looked twice or bat an eye when he finally turned and left. Albeit conflicted whether to follow his friends or to stay behind and attend to Taeil, one look from Hansol was all it took for Taeyong to heave a deep sigh and trail behind them as they made a left to the corridor and disappeared from their sights, mumbling an apology to the angel before he was gone.

“Are you okay?” Taeil asked when they were all by themselves. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“That’s what I should be asking you instead , hyung,” Ten said as he straightened himself then turned to the older. “Did they hurt you?”

Taeil was astounded for a moment. Ten was staring at him, but with no malice, with no other hidden emotions attached whatsoever, except for concern and care that was evident in his eyes. Taeil had met a lot of people before, both humans and demons alike, on earth or in heaven, but Ten was special somehow. Taeil was very suspicious of him before, especially when he found out that the younger hated demons.

_Why was he here then? Why was he here at Labyrinth where demons lurked if hated the other race?_

He had never met a human like Ten, he was different. How can he possibly care about others when he was almost at the brick of destruction? “Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself,” Taeil said before he ruffled the younger’s hair, chuckled softly when he heard Ten complain about him messing it up.

“So, why did you do it?” They were walking back towards the Student Council room when Taeil suddenly popped the question. “You could have not gotten yourself involved with Johnny if you just stayed away.”

Ten blinked cluelessly then gave it a thought when he recovered. Why did he actually? “I don’t know. When I saw you fighting with Taeyong-hyung, I wanted to help you somehow and my feet moved on its own. Johnny stopped me before I even could come near,” he explained briefly but Taeil saw the way Ten’s cheeks reddened when Alpha Incubus’ name slipped his lips and he bit down on them. Taeil frowned.

A few years staying at Labyrinth and Taeil witnessed enough to know just how horrible life on earth was. _No wonder my parents banished me here,_ Taeil thought.The school had too many secrets, too many dark sides that could break a person. And Ten was too nice for Labyrinth; Labyrinth would tear him apart. Especially Johnny.

“Don’t ever do something like that again, okay?” Taeil warned seriously. “I could hold my ground when it concerns them since I’ve known them for awhile. But they could be ruthless if they wanted to. Be careful, okay? Stay away from them. It’s for your own good.”

 

* * *

 

 

It didn’t take long for Ten to immediately fall asleep after he took a bath, dried his hair and dropped himself onto his bed. He wanted to forget what happened earlier and apparently, his dreams seemed more like a better choice compared to facing reality, especially with what had gone down with him and Johnny at the hallway. It was scary, the way the older was looking at him, it left him breathless and made him feel things he did not even want to feel in the first place, especially for a demon and an enemy.

His bed’s mattress was soft and the sheets smelled like vanilla, his body relaxed simultaneously at the scent and it lulled him to deep slumber, slowly sending him off to dreamland.

It was the same as before, like the previous ones, he was in that familiar space again and it was exceptionally dark. But the strange thing was, Ten was all alone, the same man that was with him in all of his dreams was gone, nowhere to be found. He wasn’t there.

_Where was he?_

It hadn’t happened before, usually he was there before him and Ten saw him right away. It was peculiar. But Ten had nothing else to do so he decided to wait. He waited patiently, for him to arrive like he had constantly been doing for the past few days.

After a few minutes more, thick smoke then appeared out of nowhere, signaling the other’s untimely arrival. Ten found himself smiling unconsciously. “You’re finally here,” he said rather loudly, considering the other’s far proximity.

No answer, just like he had expected and Ten did not mind. But the craziest thing happened, he saw the stranger took several purposeful strides and made its way towards him. “Is anything wrong?”

Silence filled the space and before Ten knew it, in a blink of an eye, the dark figure was hovering his form and it had managed to knock him to the ground and pinned his wrists on either side above his head.

“What－”

A strangled cry erupted from Ten’s mouth and echoed all throughout the area.  

It burned, when flesh met flesh. Ten’s eyes widened incredibly, it was exactly just like before－ how it felt, how the pain felt as the heat slowly crawled on his body that radiated from the other’s palms. It spread. Ten felt like he was on fire, almost as hot as to burn, but not enough to set him ablaze. It was more painful that way－ it was slow and Ten just wanted to die right away instead of suffering more.

“P-please….” he breathed, “make it stop…. please..” Ten did not know why he begged, he was so sure his ego would have not allowed it, but he felt like he had to. “P-please.. No more… Let me go!”

It might have been the spur of the moment, but Ten saw the man’s face above him starting to clear, Ten could easily trace out his prominent features unlike before and Ten knew he was smirking, he had to be.

“Don’t move, Ten. It’ll hurt even more if you do.”

 

He talked. Ten wasn’t imagining it, he finally talked!

 

“STOP!” Ten cried loudly.

 

 

 

 

 

Ten jolted harshly, his back arched off the bed with force, his muscles spasm as he gasped audibly and the bed creaked when his body dropped down onto the mattress. He was shaking, his chest rose and fell as he took numerous desperate breaths, tried to calm his frantic beating heart but it was in vain. He was trembling and he felt tears rolled down his eyes.

_What the hell was that?_

It had been awhile since he last had a nightmare after the first one on his first day at Labyrinth. And just like then, it felt so real, so agonizing, so painful. It was torture, the worst kind.

He wet his lips, they were dry; Ten needed water. Only when he jerked his head up did he realized something important that he had overlooked completely.

The room that he was in, it wasn’t his.

Although it looked the same, similar black and white paint on the walls, it wasn’t familiar at all, even the air in the space seemed foreign for Ten.

_Where am I? How did I get here?_

“So, you’re finally awake princess?” a voice came, rather throaty and deep. “It took you awhile.”

That voice … Ten had heard of it before, recently, but Ten couldn’t remember where he heard it from.

Then his eyes had managed to adjust to the light of the room, his vision cleared and Ten saw who it was. Ten’s breath got caught. He wasn’t seeing things, right? A figure sat on a stool, he had his legs crossed, same with his arms, eyeing Ten like some kind of prey to feast on.

“Johnny?”

The older male was sitting in front of him, just a few paces away from the bed.  Ten tried moving, to confirm if it really was the other, to approach him. But his movements were restrained and he realized that his hands were tied together with what seems to be like their school neck tie when he looked down.

“No use trying to struggle,” Johnny stood up and made his way towards the edge of the bed, a smug smirk plastered on his face. “You aren’t going anywhere until I’m done with you.”

 


	6. Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for the rape scene up ahead.   
> Thank you to my lovely beta for reading this through. TT

“You aren’t going anywhere until I’m done with you.”

 

Ten felt shivers ran down his spine at the assertion as it effortlessly slipped past the older male’s lips, it was possessive and rather dangerous. He felt chilly, it was bad. He had to find a way to get away, and quick. He began to wriggle, tried to set himself free but it was useless. The knot wrapped around his wrist was tied up too strong and it wouldn’t budge. Ten tried moving his legs, he still could kick Johnny in the balls and make a run for it, leaving the other in excruciating pain. But it was as if Johnny could read Ten’s mind, the older brought a hand up, flexed his index finger and before Ten had the chance to fully grasp the situation, his feet were now also tied together.

 

“Do yourself a favor and don’t move. You’ll hurt yourself if you do.”

 

Johnny crawled slowly onto the bed, like a predator swiftly stalking its meal, until he was hovering above Ten who was lying flat on his back, legs on either side to keep the younger in place. He leaned down gradually, settled himself on Ten’s neck and took a deep breath; drawing in Ten’s scent. “You smell so good,” Johnny groaned lowly, nuzzled his nose closer to the juncture, his irises flicked from brown to black simultaneously. “Like a virgin.”

 

Ten gulped audibly, his face immediately turned bright red. "S-stop," he breathed, but there was less bite and resistance in his voice.

 

Johnny slowly pulled away, staring down at the boy beneath him. "Don’t resist, it’s no use." He cocked an eyebrow, moving his hands to Ten's sides. The latter squirmed at the contact, it made the elder grin though.“I brought you here after all.”

 

Ten thrashed his arms and legs about, albeit it was a struggle since they were restrained. Johnny groaned in annoyance, quickly grabbed the younger's wrists and pinned them above his head with one hand. “You kidnapped me,” Ten accused, trying his hardest to pull his hands away, but the older was far too strong.

 

“Let’s not jump to conclusions, shall we?” The third year lowered his head to Ten's exposed shoulder and neck, the latter’s shirt had rode up somewhere in between his futile efforts to set himself free and squirming. Ten’s scent managed to elicit a groan from Johnny when the smell caught his sensitive nose. Never had Johnny smelt something so tempting, so alluring, so off limits. Johnny growled, inhaled the aroma as he moved from the younger's shoulder to his nape. “But you could say that.”

 

"St-stop!" Ten balled his fists, tried ever so hard to push the older but it was no use. Johnny's forehead creased indifferently, Ten was still resisting? Johnny’s incubus carnal pull should have him begging by now...

 

“What are you?” Johnny asked.

 

Ten shuddered, feeling the other's cold breath ghosting along his neck. “W-what do you m-mean?” The hand holding his wrists in place tightened instantly, it pulled a breathy yelp from Ten.

 

His eyes shifting color by the second, Johnny shook his head. “You’re not a demon, and your aura doesn’t seem like a human’s.”

 

“I-I’m a h-human,” Ten muttered, his eyes slightly closed and his gasps heavy. He did not know why he had the urge to confess when he could just stay silent, was it because of Johnny’s Alpha demeanor that made him do it?

 

“Interesting,” Johnny snarled, suddenly gripped onto younger's pajama shirt and casually ripped it off of his body, earning a stupefied cry from the younger in response. “You’re a mysterious person, aren’t you? I like that.”

 

Ten shivered, his eyes wide with fear when the humid air of the room hit his bare chest. What the hell was going to happen to him? 

 

Johnny smirked dangerously, allowed his free hand to rest on the younger's lean stomach, slowly caressed the skin underneath his palm. Ten flinched uncharacteristically; he hated the feeling of being touched like that. He was being violated. 

 

The older chuckled amusingly, slid his hand upward as he began to sniff around Ten's neck; drowning himself in the younger’s stimulating scent. Ten started to struggle; pulling on his arms and trying to kick his legs. Johnny wasn’t fazed at all; there was no way Ten was going to escape him now. Johnny darted out his tongue and licking a long stripe up Ten's neck. Ten shuddered visibly, squeezed his eyes shut. Another chill ran up and down his spine when he felt something sharp graze his skin. "N-no! Don't!" Ten wasn't stupid enough to not know what it was and where the whole situation was leading to.

 

Johnny grazed his teeth along the younger’s tanned flesh, leaving faint pink trails in his wake. Johnny knew that he shouldn't be doing it, he knew that it was wrong, he knew that were would be consequences if he did. But he couldn't find it in himself to care at all. It was almost as if he couldn't control himself. Without anymore second thoughts, his tongue attached Ten's neck again, it made Ten whimper.

 

"D-don't do this..." Ten pleaded, feeling helpless and pathetic. “Please ….”

 

Johnny raised an eyebrow, withdrawing himself from the saliva coated neck, but he heard Ten's heartbeat and it made him stop. It was speedy, frantic; the sound was mesmerizing somehow, and Johnny could tell that the pace was getting faster by the second. His eyes suddenly turned black, pitch yet luminous black, letting his Alpha instinct take control. Ten's eyes widened incredibly, stared back into those dark, deep orbs. It was spooky, the way Johnny gawked at him; it was like as if the older was reading him, looking deep through his very soul, unraveling his secrets.

 

Johnny leaned down marginally, he had let go of the younger's wrists when he moved. Ten immediately brought his still-tied hands close to his chest and shoved them hard against the elder, used what little strength he had mustered to push Johnny away－ but it was in vain.

 

"You're not human," Johnny growled against the younger's neck.

 

Ten's eyes fell on the brunette beside him, as the elder continued his ministration. It was disgusting, how venerable Ten was at that state. Why can’t he do anything? "Of c-course I a-am..." Ten stuttered, balled his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white; his wrists were bound to bruise after.

 

"I may not see your aura but your scent can’t lie," Johnny snorted, pressed his bare chest against Ten's; smirked when he could feel the younger slightly tremble under his hold. Ten cringed, wanted anything more than to sink further into the bed to stop the contact. "Pretend all you want but you aren’t what you think you are."

 

"Sh-shut up!!" Ten screamed, blocked out the elder’s voice in his head. He didn’t need that. Who did Johnny think he was? Who was he to question Ten about his identity? Ten knew that he was human and nothing could make him think otherwise.

 

Although quite unexpected, Johnny was amused at the reaction, and let his hands slide up the younger's sides. Ten wriggled, willing himself to reject the contact even though Johnny’s hands were warm and it made him shiver; it felt good. And that’s what scared Ten; he never expected it to happen and yet he still found it arousing. It was just Johnny’s pheromones, it made him lose his sanity, it made him dizzy, unable to think clearly－ Ten made himself believe.

 

Johnny grinned knowingly, admired the love bites he had placed on the younger's neck before he sunk back down. Johnny's teeth grazed against the younger's skin, licked a wet path as he draw out his tongue then found Ten’s jugular after a few seconds. Without any warning, he pierced through Ten's supple yet sensitive flesh, it induced a high pitched scream from the younger. 

 

"Stop! Stop!" Ten cried, his body jerked and his back arched; he writhed onto the mattress as the pain shot up to his entire body. Johnny had his eyes closed while Ten's eyes began to water. The pain from the bite had subsided somehow, but the pain from how Johnny gripped onto his sides wasn't. "G-get... Let go!" Ten tried, he really did, but nothing he did budged the older; Johnny was too strong. Ten could feel himself getting weaker, he couldn't believe it.

 

Ten began to whimper, tears rolled down his face uncontrollably. Johnny then pulled away, but not before he ran a tongue onto the wound he had left to let it heal, took in a deep breath of fresh air when he was done. He looked back at the teen, licked his blood stained lips and a smirk appeared on his face when he spotted what he had done.

 

It was mark; a mark of territory.

 

"Mine," The older growled, letting himself move further down the bed. Ten shuddered as he felt Johnny graze down his body. His eyes were wide and tears wouldn't stop falling. The latter found purchase on a nipple and sucked hard, it made Ten cry out loud. It was too much.

 

Johnny pulled away suddenly, straddled the younger and looked down on him. Surely his Alpha stench would have been enough to bring the younger to his knees, force the younger to accept him fully, have the kid sweating by now, begging Johnny to take him right then and there but Ten was just whimpering and crying, he was still resisting even when Johnny’s incubus side was also present. Johnny didn't understand, how was Ten able to do that? How was he able to resist? Johnny returned to sucking a particular patch of skin. Ten wept, his whole body trembled with fear. But it turned Johnny on; how scared Ten was, how powerless he seemed. He couldn't wait to take him; couldn’t wait to violate him even more; couldn’t wait to make him cry. The lust for dominance clouded his senses and he wasn’t thinking straight anymore.

 

Johnny placed hickeys around the younger's abdomen, then got to the waistband of his pajamas. Even at the younger’s soft yet useless attempt for protest, Johnny grinned and pulled the defensive piece of clothing down and threw them off the bed, then moved his attention to the long legs in front of him that were still secured. With a flick of a hand, the restraints were gone.

 

The older held one of Ten's ankles and attached his lips to the back of it and pecked the skin before he hooked it above his shoulder. Ten shuddered; trying to kick his feet. But he felt too weak to move at that instant, his body felt heavy. Johnny left chaste kisses down Ten’s leg, stroked his knee and sucked his inner thigh almost eagerly. Ten bit his lip, urged himself to hold back another cry and his own tears as the elder's head was practically between his legs. Ten wasn’t gonna give Johnny the satisfaction of knowing he had wrecked Ten completely.

 

Johnny traced his sharp teeth against Ten's thigh, maintained eye contact with him at all times. Ten should have looked away, but there was something in Johnny’s eyes that captivated him and made the task almost impossible to do. “S-stop… No mo-more…." Ten whimpered, just as the elder's teeth sank into his thigh. Ten bit his lower lip forcibly until it drew blood, swallowed down a scream of terror. The pain was too much, Ten swore Johnny broke his skin.

 

Once satisfied, Johnny pulled away, watched the trail of blood roll down Ten's thigh and into his boxers, pleased at another mark he had made. The exotic sight of the younger’s disheveled state beneath－ chest desperately taking in deep pants, his half lidded and blown eyes, his hair messily sticking out everywhere, his red tainted lips－ made Johnny groan and curse under his breath which didn't match his character.

 

Johnny let the leg fall to the bed and he crawled over the younger, his eyes suddenly turned gray and silvery like those glistering stars in the night. Ten's eyes widened, felt his insides freeze. The elder's keen senses were quick to notice something odd wrapped around the younger’s neck he had not noticed earlier.

 

"What is this?" He hissed, looking at the strange pendant Ten had on.

 

"N-nothing..." Ten answered, clamped his hands around together, to keep himself sane. "Le-Let me g-go..."

 

But Johnny wasn’t going to allow the younger to do as he pleased. "No," he snapped, his hands suddenly circled around the younger's back, gripped onto his shoulders and raked his sharp nails down.

 

Ten cried out in pain, more tears escaped his already stained eyes. Johnny decided that he liked the younger when he was like that－ crying－ it made him shimmer, undeniably delectable. As Johnny’s hands got to the small of Ten's back, another grin spread across his face. He let his hands slid into Ten's boxers, snaked across the younger’s ass.

 

"S-stop! Don't touch me!" Ten turned his head to the side, letting tears flow down his face when he felt the elder’s nails dig into his rear. Johnny grinned but squeezed even harder. 

 

"You like it, don’t you?” Johnny chuckled, ripped off the younger's boxers and threw them in some corner of the room. “You seem eager.”

 

"Stop! Please! I'll do anything!" He shouted all of a sudden and any sort of movement from the older seemed to stop.

 

Johnny raised an eyebrow at the weeping teen. "Anything, you say?" Johnny slyly grinned when he saw Ten nodding his head. "Take that necklace off then."

 

Ten knew it was a bad idea, he gave Johnny the upper-hand and he felt stupid for doing so. He shouldn't take the pendant off, Donghae warned him not to, that it would protect him somehow, but the moment he felt those sharp nails on his ass again, he had no other choice. With a wave of Johnny’s hand and after the tie on his wrists were gone, Ten carefully untied the necklace. He was right, it did leave a bruise and his skin stung.

 

Johnny frowned as he looked at the pendant, something about it was off-putting and made him uneasy. He quickly reached for it and threw it over to where Ten’s clothes were. Ten wanted to protest, to retrieve his pendant, but something coiled up inside of him. His body suddenly started to heat up, caused him to sweat rapidly. "Wh-what's happ-" he cut himself off in a whimper as his cock strung to life and became distressingly hard.

 

Johnny smirked. It was like he had thought; that pendant was stopping his carnal pull, it shielded Ten from him. But Ten was defenseless now. So Johnny wasted no time and quickly leaned over the younger, stared down at his flushed body. "Let me relieve you."

 

Ten moaned unconsciously when the elder's hand touched his stomach. He felt so sensitive, like he was on fire and he was about to melt if they continued. "I ca-" his breathing was heavy and his chest hurt, everywhere hurt. 

 

Johnny chuckled at the response he got and curled his fingers around the prominent erection. Ten's scream echoed through the room and bounced off the walls, it made the elder smirk in triumph. Surely someone would have heard them by now, but why hasn’t someone appeared yet to rescue Ten? Were they  _ _that__ scared of Johnny?

 

The demon pumped the teen slowly, made him toss and turn on the bed. Ten's mind was going blank, his rationality was escaping him. He didn't want it, he didn’t want what Johnny was doing to him, but his body was giving in, it was betraying him. "Please stop!" Ten shrieked while gripping tightly onto the sheets. But Johnny didn't listen and instead leaned down, darted his tongue over the sensitive head of the younger’s cock. It was the first time he had done something like that, usually the situation would be reversed, the other party being the one who pleasured Johnny. But Johnny felt the need to do so nonetheless. 

 

Ten moaned loudly, feeling a pleasured ripple travel up his entire body. Johnny held the base, still lapping the head. Ten was whipping his head from side to side. The stimulation was too much! The older slowly pushed the head into his mouth, causing Ten's moans to become more rapid and incoherent. He sank all the way to the bottom, engulfing Ten's entire length in one go. Johnny's tongue circled around every single inch of skin that he could reach. Ten could only mewl helplessly, feeling his insides tighten already. Johnny began bobbing his head in a sort of fast pace. Ten moaned, ungovernable, the heat and moistness of the demon’s mouth drove him close to the edge of insanity.

 

"S-stop! Stop it! Please!" he shouted out, hoping that the other would get his point. But Johnny increased his suction instead, bringing the younger off faster than anything else could. Ten suddenly screamed, his entire body racked with pleasure. But before he could come, the older pulled away and gripped his cock tightly, denying him of his release.

 

Johnny licked his lips devilishly at the desperate male beneath him when he saw his eyes spilling tears again. He grabbed the other's hips and flipped him onto his front. Ten yelped as he bounced on the bed. Johnny's eyes roamed across Ten's back, seeing the prominent scratches he created he smiled. Ah, he loved it, he wanted to make more; he wanted more of Ten. 

 

Johnny lowered himself until his mouth was close to Ten's ear, bit the shell before he whispered, "the things I want to do to you, could you handle them?" The older let his tongue glide down Ten's back until it reached his round cheeks. Johnny smirked, gripped each cheek harshly as he pulled them apart.

 

"What a-are you d-doing?!" Although it would seem like he was protesting, his words were contradicted by his own movements. Ten moaned slightly, still trying to keep his mind clear. He wasn’t supposed to be swept away, he wasn’t supposed to enjoy it, but Johnny was making the whole ordeal difficult. Everything that the older did just felt so good, every lick, every touch, every scratch, every bite, they all just felt so good. 

 

"Just take it, don’t resist me anymore,," Johnny said, his voice nothing more than a low rumble. He lowered himself down till he was in front of the younger's small pink entrance, watched it twitch with anticipation. "So greedy," he growled, letting a finger trace the hole.

 

"N-no!" Ten pleaded, wiggled to keep the older away. The movement excited Johnny more, although it seemed like he was slowly submitting, Ten wasn’t going to let Johnny have him without a fight. He was really different from the rest, he'd never met someone who resisted his advances so bad. It was hot,  _ _very__ _ _.__

 

Johnny pulled the cheeks apart again before his tongue flicked out. Ten's eyes widened and he moaned unbelievably loud, feeling a warm and moist damp on his hole. The older swirled his tongue around the flesh, humming against it every now and again. He pushed his tongue past the tight ring of muscles, listening to Ten moan and mewl above him. Johnny lifted the younger's ass off the bed, bent his knees but kept his upper body on the mattress. Ten flushed beet red, it was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever done; and his body refused to fight back, it just went along with it for the ride. Ten shuddered, feeling the elder's tongue press deeper inside of him. Johnny quickly pushed a finger in beside his tongue, dug deeper inside the alluring male. Ten brought a hand up to his mouth, blocked himself from making anymore embarrassing sounds because of the penetration. He didn't want to hear himself and he sure as hell didn't want Johnny to hear them as well.

 

Johnny pulled his tongue away and licked his lips. He chuckled, amused that how Ten was struggling to keep his moans in, but the look on his face gave him away; he was feeling it although he seemed pained awhile ago. Johnny decided to add another finger, flicked his wrist and thrusted deeper into the other’s willing body.

 

Ten let out a high pitched cry, it came out muffled as he still had his hand on his mouth. Johnny had touched something.  _There it is,_  Johnny smirked, brushed against that bundle of nerves inside of him that made Ten see stars. Ten’s insides contracted and he felt his cock twitch; he was going to come.

 

Johnny pressed against that same spot, forcing a scream from Ten that even he couldn’t keep in. Pre-cum was leaking onto Johnny's bed from Ten's cock, but the older didn't seem to mind at all. He added another finger, it was the third one already, curling them inside the younger's virgin body. Ten's hands gripped into the bed sheets, he was so close it was maddening; he needed his release. Johnny smirked when he saw how needy Ten was, he slowly snaked his hand to Ten’s stomach and reached for the younger’s manhood, clenched on it too strongly. Ten's eyes flew open and he screamed, but his orgasm was being denied from him yet again. If Johnny wasn’t going to kill him, Ten was going to die from the denial if he kept it up.

 

The older was about to go completely lust driven and devour the younger from the inside out if  Ten hadn’t turned his head to stare at him with pleading and scared eyes. "Please let me go... I don't like this..." he hiccuped, "it hurts… n-no more… please…" Ten was crying again. He wanted the madness to end already, he couldn’t take it anymore.

 

Johnny's eyes widened suddenly at the sight, his rational side was slowly coming to the light. He didn’t pull out his fingers but he grew silent. Ten glanced over to the side of the bed, tears still blurring his vision. Johnny’s eyes keep shifting between black, silver and red, but Ten swore he saw it turn to light brown for a fraction of a second. He wasn’t sure, it could have been black instead.  

 

“I can’t control them,” Johnny confessed, a soft murmur and he was breathing heavily. “They’re too strong.”

 

“W-what?” Ten shuttered. “What can’t you control?”

 

“I couldn’t stop them. They took over.” Johnny hit a nerve deep inside him with one last shove and the sensation clouded Ten’s senses; he was getting light headed, his eyesight was hazy. “I’m sorry.”

 

A deafening sound of the bedroom door opening, a “Johnny, what the fuck－”, a faint call of Ten’s name, and a “Hansol stop me! Save him from me!” was all he heard before Ten completely blacked out.


	7. Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More confusing events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my lovely beta, as always. Enjoy y'all 'cause I did as well when I wrote this.

  
“I’m sorry.”

  
The phrase was repeated over and over again, like a loop. It seemed endless, continuous yet indefinite. But somehow, it was faint, hardly palpable, like a soft whisper that echoed through the wind until it ringed right past Ten’s ears.

  
And then came a loud screech, a cry of pain, a deafening plea for help. 

  
“STOP!”  
  


 

Ten jerked forcefully, his back arched off the bed so sudden that it creaked loudly as he moved, his muscles spasm and it started to hurt. His chest rose and fell in a messy pattern as he took numerous desperate breaths. He was trembling and his body was hurting, his mind was running in different directions at the same time. Ten bent his legs and pulled it to his chest, circled his shaky arms around them and hugged them close before he rested his head against his knees. He could hear the frantic beating of his heart from that specific position and he just wanted it to stop, he wanted everything to stop.

He was so shaken that he hadn’t noticed another presence in the large space besides his own.

“You’re finally awake,” an unfamiliar voice said and the sound of a chair being pulled back filled the air. “I thought you’d be passed out till morning.”

  
Ten immediately lifted his head in caution, eyes wide, and his senses were on high alert. But who he came face to face with was someone he hadn’t expected. Ji Hansol, the royal Goblin himself, the one everyone feared of after Johnny, was standing not far from where he was, a few paces away from the bed, eyeing Ten intently with arms wrapped around his chest and a stoic expression on his face.

  
What was he doing here? 

  
And then, certain flashes of Johnny’s violent behavior came to Ten’s mind; what the taller male did to him, the nasty things he said. The memory alone made him seemingly powerless. Ten started panicking internally. Was Hansol going to hurt him like Johnny had done?

  
Out of impulse, Ten kicked his heels rather harshly and backed away in desperation until his back hit the wooden headboard of his bed, the sheets beneath him scrambled, and the bed creaked audibly with every sudden movement. He was like a trapped animal, with nowhere to go, with nowhere to hide. The situation itself was pathetic, Ten was pathetic. He could fight off Hansol if he wanted to, so that he could run away and save his skin, but Hansol was clearly stronger, way stronger, and Ten’s energy was drained, completely depleted. It was like as if he was already lifeless in his state, barely conscious, not even feeling the pain in his wrists and ankles after Johnny had tied them up too tightly, enough to leave a couple of purple-ish bruises.

  
Just like Johnny, Hansol also liked being feared, that sense of supremacy was satisfying in a way, feeding his already boastful ego, taunting others for the fun of it; it was oddly rewarding. But seeing the way Ten’s tightly hunched body visibly trembling in front of him despite the evident distance, cowering in fear, it made him somewhat uncomfortable. Hansol sighed. _This is going to be a long night_. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” he said, even lifting both his hands in the air in surrender and to show that he had no ill intentions. “I promise.”

  
It took awhile before Ten slowly raised his head and meet Hansol’s eyes－ they were the oddest mixture of hazelnut and chocolate－ his orbs looked soft, such a big contrast to what Hansol really was. 

  
Though he was still frightened, Ten couldn’t help but allow his eyes to bore into Hansol’s. He was searching for something in them, a hint of hesitation, a hint of lies and deception, a hint of his true deceiving nature but he saw none. His body slightly relaxed at the idea but he willed himself to stay vigilant. Ten shouldn’t trust someone like Hansol so easily. 

  
Demons, no matter the kind, they’re all the same.

  
Ten scanned the room that they were in carefully, seeing the familiar picture frame at the table on the other side, he was right; it was his own room. But how did he get here? The last thing he could remember was being in a oddly similar yet completely different one. He had been in Johnny’s room.  
  

“Did you bring me here?” Ten asked as he turned to the Goblin, voice soft, still somewhat mindful of Hansol’s presence.

  
“Yeah,” the taller male answered. “I had nowhere else to go. You can’t stay in my room after all that happened, it would cause a ruckus.”

  
“How did－” _you know that I was in Johnny’s room? How did you take me here? Why couldn’t you have saved me sooner?_ and alike sentiments clouded his rationality but he decided against voicing them out. “Thank you,” he said timidly instead.

“You’re welcome.” Hansol managed to offer a small smile to ease the other’s uncomfortable state. Ten was probably still in shock, and Hansol wasn’t that heartless to let the younger go through the same sort of pain he had just experienced by pushing him pass his breaking point. “Do you want to drink some water? I could fetch you some if you want.”

Ten slowly nodded his head and Hansol immediately went to the kitchen to get him his beverage.

When Hansol was out of the proximity, Ten took a deep breath, brought a hand to rub his now clothed chest (where they came from, he did not know); at least his pulse had managed to calm down and took notice of the clock he had on his bed side table－it was already one in the morning. 

But with Hansol in his room and with what happened between him and Johnny, what was Ten going to do afterwards?

\----------------

 

  
“Here you go,” Hansol said as he handed the younger the glass of water he got from the kitchen. “I hope you don’t mind me looking in through your refrigerator. Didn’t know where else to look.”

“It’s alright. Thanks.” Ten smiled shyly. Hansol found it amusing, seeing Ten embarrassed like that after everything that had gone down. Besides the casual glimpses and rare situations, it was the first time he had closely interacted with the younger and nonetheless, Ten was a very interesting person. The Goblin wasn’t so sure what, but Ten was different, very different.

When Ten’s fingers brushed softly against Hansol’s when he reached to retrieve the glass, Hansol stilled, his body stiffened, his eyes widened marginally but he quickly relaxed his expressions so that Ten wouldn’t notice and would not be alerted at the sudden change in Hansol’s demeanor.

Goblins were powerful creatures, capable of many things, and one those was to foresee certain occurrences. Since Hansol was barely an adult, he had little control over such abilities, the best he could see was a small imagine if and only if physical contact was initiated. Though the contact was brief, Hansol saw something for the first time in awhile.

The vision, albeit blurry, made him uncertain of some things and he wanted to ask Ten about them, but before he managed to question the younger male about it, the sound of Ten’s front door opening came off and caught the two off guard, several heavy and frantic footsteps were nearing the room that they were in.

“Yuta?”

Yuta came striding into the younger’s room without much remorse, his face scrunched up in worry. “Ten, are you alright? I could feel something -” he stopped mid sentence when he saw Hansol’s frame standing besides Ten’s bed. “What are you doing here?! Ten, what is he doing here?!?” he sounded outraged then looked back and forth between the two, seeing Ten’s disheveled state, it made Yuta furious. “Did you do something to Ten?!? I swear to my grandfather’s grave if you did I’m going to ki－”

“Relax, I don’t do weak species,” Hansol answered, crossed his arms idly. “Not my style.”

“What did you say?!”

Astounded by the reaction, Hansol smirked and cocked a brow. “An elf, huh,” he said, after carefully analyzing the other’s aura. But he really didn’t need to, Hansol could remember that unique aura even from a mile away. “No wonder….”

Yuta took it offensively and was ready to charge but Ten’s voice stopped him before he could get himself hurt by challenging Hansol.

“Yuta, it’s alright. He didn’t do anything wrong. I passed out when I went for a stroll outside, probably due to lack of sleep. He came to help and brought me back,” Ten assured, silently hoping that Yuta would not see past his lies. Hansol turned to him and gave him a look but Ten slightly shook his head. Yuta did not need to know about what happened to him, it was Ten’s problem and he did not want to burden his friends, bragging them into something they had no knowledge of.

It was part of Ten’s mission, he had to do it alone.

Hansol thought it was best that Ten hadn’t told Yuta, it could mean less trouble for both him and Johnny. But fooling Yuta wasn’t going to be that easy, he was never going to live that down without a fuss. 

“Why the hell did you wander off all alone by yourself, and at night? You know very well that it’s dangerous,” Yuta rambled on. “You should have waited for me and Doyoung to arrive for someone to accompany you.”

“I can take care of myself, Yuta.”

“And fainting is how you do it?” Yuta pointed out sternly. “Seriously, Ten?”

“Good thing I was around the area, no?” Hansol chimed in suddenly. “Imagine what would have happened if I wasn’t there to help?”

“Never do that ever again, you hear me?” Yuta told Ten instead, not bothering to even spare the older a glance as he continued on scolding his careless friend. “You’re lucky I have no plans of telling Doyoung about this or else, you’re screwed, my friend.”

Not used to being ignored, “What are you, his mother?” Hansol added, wanting to tease the other, to irk him somehow.

Yuta snorted, completely unimpressed before he dived right on the younger’s bed and pampered him, ignoring the Goblin once again, like he wasn’t even there.

Although it wasn’t the sort of reaction he wanted, Hansol thought it was entertaining. Yuta was definitely something else.

\-------------

 

After taking his leave, Hansol immediately went back to Johnny’s room to check up on him; nobody’s certain what Johnny would do to himself given the situation. The lights were still on but Johnny was nowhere to be found within the living room’s vicinity when Hansol appeared on the said area. 

He’s probably inside his room, Hansol thought.

Hansol headed for the other’s personal quarters and slowly opened the door, not wanting to wake him up if he was asleep. But he wasn’t. Johnny was seated on the ground, close to his bed, his back leaning against it and he had his head downcast, in between his knees; his form was dejected and venerable.

When Hansol looked around, the room was still a mess, the exact same mess it was in before Hansol arrived, probably even worse. Clothes were scattered on the floor, the chair on the side was broken－ probably thrown by Johnny in his fit of rage－and the sheets were tainted with blood, Ten’s blood. 

“You’re still awake? Thought you’d be sleeping by now.”

Johnny slowly raised his head, seeing Hansol stand before him but Hansol was sure that the other had already expected his untimely arrival. “How is he? Is he alright?”

“And that’s the first thing you say? Huh, I was honestly expecting a small thank you, you ungrateful brat.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Bastard.” Hansol hissed under his breath but it lacked his usual bite. “He’s fine, Ten’s still alive. Don’t worry.”

“Good to hear.”

 

“Johnny, what’s going on?” Hansol asked, but Johnny gave him no answer. “Tell me.” Hansol bent his knees and tried to reach for the younger male but his Alpha instinct predicted the Goblin’s movement and was quick to swat his hand away and brush him aside as he stood up to his feet.

“Fuck off.”

Hansol straightened himself before he turned to look at Johnny. “I saved Ten when you asked me to, I did what you wanted. Don’t you think it’s only fair that I know?” He took a deep breath and continued, “What’s happening, Johnny?”

It was the first time Johnny’s eyes met his that night when the younger regarded him. His eyes were brown, not red or gray or black like earlier, just brown, his usual shade. “They took over again,” Johnny answered.

“They?” Hansol asked. “Your demons? I thought you could control them now?”

“I thought I could. But…” he trailed off and shook his head repeatedly, “one look at him and I completely lost it. Everything was out of my control.”

“Are you telling me….”

 

  
“They want him, Hansol,” Johnny answered. “Both of them want Ten.”

 

  
“Don’t you mean, _you_ want Ten?” Hansol clarified. “They’re still a part of you, Johnny. It’s you that wants him.” It didn’t add up, Hansol thought. It made no sense at all.

“It’s not what I want!” The sudden outburst shocked Hansol, Johnny had never raised his voice out of frustration like that before. Next to Taeyong, Johnny was usually the composed one in their group. “I- I almost raped him, Hansol.” His voice was slightly trembling and it made Hansol uneasy. “You should have seen his face. He was crying, so afraid, begging me to stop. But I couldn’t…. I didn’t.” 

Johnny looked devastated, guilty of what he had done, but also a bit defeated. Hansol understood why he was feeling that way. Losing control of the situation was something Johnny hadn’t been accustomed to. Although he was an Incubus, he was also an Alpha, and Alphas thrive on dominance and control; being denied of that was a big blow to his nature as an Alpha. 

“Maybe you should stay away from him,” Hansol suggested, wanting to ease the other’s troubles. “I could feel it, you’re weakening, Johnny. Your aura is unstable right now. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t control yourself.”

“What if they won’t?” Johnny asked. “What if they’ll continue to come after Ten? What if I couldn’t control them anymore like I wanted to?” 

  
“They will and won’t.” Hansol brought a hand and reached for the younger, more firmly that time and gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. “You’re gonna stop them, you’re gonna control yourself, and you’re not going to hurt anyone anymore. You hear me?”

But Johnny did not answer. He was already too tired, too fatigued to come up with a response.

“Get some sleep, man. You need it.” Hansol snapped his fingers and just like that, the mess in the room cleared, then he proceeded to help the younger on his bed. “You need to regain your strength, we still have classes tomorrow.”

Johnny dozed off pretty easily than Hansol had expected when his back hit the mattress. He must have been very tired, Hansol thought. He could have just directly went to sleep earlier, why had he waited for Hansol to arrive anyway? Was he that anxious to hear about what happened to Ten when Hansol took him away?

Seeing Johnny in a peaceful slumber was a sight to behold, Hansol rarely saw that side of him; his soft and undisturbed part. But it wasn’t that particular reason that caught his eye, it was something else. From where he stood, it would seem like Johnny’s aura was still in a frenzy, rapidly moving above his head like in a high speed chase although his physical body was completely at rest. It made Hansol frown. Were his demons fighting like Johnny had said?

Auras may all look similar to some demons－ just black and white－but Hansol saw them differently. They were all unique, had certain distinctions, not a single one was exactly the same to another.

Hansol had never seen his but he could only imagine just how twisted his aura looked like if he could. Jaehyun’s was a lighter shade of black, not gray, but not entirely black as well. Taeyong’s aura was unique; probably because he was as well. His was black, but it was glowing, surrounded by white shadows looming closely behind and somewhat luminous. His aura was the prettiest of them four, Hansol thought.

And Johnny’s …. his was hard to explain. His was the darkest one Hansol was ever seen in his life; black, pitch black. If described, it was like a pit-less abyss; not knowing where the whole thing begins and where it’ll end. As someone who had the ability to see the future, that kind of uncertainty was frightening for Hansol, Johnny himself was frightening. 

Johnny was the only one of his kind, had two strong ancestries in his name that could rival none, of course he had to be special. But it wasn’t because of his lineage that made Hansol swore his undying loyalty to, that he promised that he’d follow Johnny no matter what, and would even willingly go through hell and back for him, no. It was a whole different reason, a reason even Hansol wasn’t sure of how it came to be. Johnny was strong, he was destined for great things－ either good or bad. And Hansol was more than willing to stand by him in whatever path the younger chose to follow, forgetting the fact that he himself was also an heir, a candidate to inherit the crown of their kingdom.

But it was the first time, ever since he and Johnny were in diapers, that Hansol witnessed that sort of ordeal happening to the young Alpha. He could feel Johnny’s aura from his room downstairs. It was powerful, more powerful that it usually was. But it was alarming at the same time, it felt very uncontrollable, Johnny was never like that. So Hansol went to check up on him, to make sure that nothing bad happened to him. But the sight of Ten laid out on the Alpha incubus’ bed, naked, close to passing out when he barged in the room shocked Hansol to say at least. What was Johnny doing?

Just like Johnny had commanded, he saved Ten and took him back to his room without further protest after brushing pass the younger. How he did it was a mystery meant to be told in another day.

A ton of questions were left unanswered and Hansol was confused. What was so special about Ten that made Johnny act like that? Why had he brought Ten there in the first place? If it was to feed off him, then why did his victim had to be Ten of all people?

But eventually, he found out the reason for himself. Back at Ten’s room, when Hansol gave him the glass and their hands touched briefly, he saw something, but then again he saw none.

It was strange, bizarre, and it was unheard of.

But one thing was for sure, Ten was bad news. Johnny needed to stay away.

 


	8. Stay Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally picking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thanks to my beta for helping me out on this one. Xoxo.
> 
> Also to all who enjoy this story, this one is for you!

It was dark, yet _again._  Like all the previous times before. But Ten surprisingly grew accustomed to it albeit it still gave him the chills; being on the same spot again for several days. However, with no one else but himself, without that usual figure beside him, without Johnny being there, it was different. Ten felt lonely somehow.

 

 _“Ten?”_  

 

Ten turned his head at the sound. The voice sounded awfully familiar yet also distant at the same time.

 

_“Ten.”_

 

Ten felt like someone was calling from him. He stared at afar, tried to decipher where it came from but saw none.

 

_“Ten. Wake up.”_

 

And wake up he did.

 

Someone was gently shaking his body and Ten slowly opened his eyes though they were still heavy with sleep, then he noticed a dark shadow looming above his head. But Ten wasn’t afraid, the comfortable air around the other was enough to assure Ten that he wasn’t going to get hurt. He knew who it was.

 

It was Yuta.

 

“What happened?” Ten asked, squinting his eyes as they adjusted to the light of the room before he rubbed them gently with the back of his hand to chase away the drowsiness.

 

“You were talking in your sleep,” Yuta said then settled himself on the side on the other’s bed comfortably. “You kept mentioning this name but I couldn’t hear what it was.” He slowly reached out a hand and lightly caressed Ten’s forehead, wanted to check his body temperature. “Are you alright?”

 

Ten repeatedly shook his head. “I’m fine,” he assured.

 

While retrieving his hand, Yuta looked him like he wasn’t convinced, wanting to ask some more questions but before he could, Ten’s phone on the bedside table suddenly lit up. Ten immediately reached for it and answered the call without looking who it was from.

 

A familiar voice rung past the other line and Ten could only curse under his breath, regretting that he answered the call. “Dad?”

 

_“Finally you had the decency to pick up my calls.”_

 

 _Shit, he was pissed. He had to be._ “Look Dad, I-”

 

_“Don’t even bother making excuses, Mister. Donghae was worried sick about you, are you even aware of that?”_

 

Ten let out an inaudible sigh, pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “I’m sorry, Dad. I just had problem settling in so I couldn’t contact you guys sooner.”

 

_“It’s been two weeks, Ten! You got us all worried here!”_

 

Ten knew they were－he did －but Hyukjae was obviously over reacting. “I know, I’m sorry, Dad.” Hyukjae had every right to be pissed but he kept forgetting that Ten wasn’t a little kid anymore; Hyukjae should at least treat Ten like his age, he should at least _learn_ to trust Ten.

 

 _“Promise me you’ll call tonight, okay? When the other boys are home, they still have school and your father went to work. Jaemin really wants to talk to you. So does Donghae, he has been restless lately. We miss you being here.”_ His dad had sounded crossed and ridiculously annoyed with him earlier, but when he heard Hyukjae sighing from the other end, defeated and wary, it made Ten feel guilty. He hated to admit it but Hyukjae was right, Ten should have called them earlier than that.

 

“I miss you guys, too,” he said more softly than normal and another huff came from the other’s end. Ten was certain that Hyuklae was probably grinning from ear to ear until his jaws hurt, definitely amused.

 

 _“Call us tonight.. You hear me?”_ It sounded more of a threat rather than a request but Ten wasn’t fazed, Hyukjae always had his ways with handling Ten. Donghae was the dotting father, favored Ten in almost everything while Hyukjae didn’t, he was strict despite his cheerful nature and kept Ten in check, but Ten rarely complained; he loved them both just the same.

 

“Yeah, Dad. I will. Take care. Bye.” Ten tossed his phone on the bed after the call ended, and stood up. That brief conversation with Hyukjae was enough to suck out his energy for some reason.

 

“Who was that?” Yuta asked when the other was neither preoccupied nor distracted anymore. If Yuta hadn’t said anything, Ten would have almost forgotten that the latter was still in the room with him.

 

“My Dad.” He sighed heavily, but not leaving any room for further conversation. Ten did not want Yuta to question him more about his family, it would compromise his identity and SJ’s. It could potentially jeopardize everything. “Yuta, what are you doing here?” Ten asked instead. Yuta’s bad habit of entering his room without Ten’s permission was troubling sometimes.

 

“Well, you missed class.”

 

He did? Ten turned to look for the nearest clock and was shocked when he found out it was already noon. “Holy, was I asleep the whole morning?!” That was the most number of hours of sleep Ten had ever gotten since he came to Labyrinth!

 

“You needed to rest so I didn’t bother waking you up earlier and besides, we didn’t do anything important in class anyway,” Yuta explained then shot to his feet. “Just dropped by to tell you that Doyoung and I can’t accompany you to lunch, we have something to do. He said it was urgent.”

 

“Really? So, you’d be gone for the rest of the day?”

 

“Nah, just during lunch,” Yuta said. “Don’t worry, Taeil-hyung will still be there, and I can meet you at class later.”

 

“Sounds fine with me.”

 

Yuta nodded his head and gave him a small smile but in a split second, his facial features turned grim. He was looking at Ten intently, observing him then frowned deeply at what he saw.

 

“What’s wrong?” Ten asked, alarmed at the sudden change of Yuta’s demeanor.

 

Yuta shook his head. “Nothing. But just a random question, though,” he started. “Is your necklace missing?”

 

“My what?”

 

“Your necklace,” Yuta repeated. “The black thing you always wear around your neck? Where is it?”

 

“Necklace? What neck－” _Oh shit._

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Ten hurriedly took a bath and got dressed when Yuta left, and ventured alone towards the cafeteria. Taeil probably was already there and Ten didn’t want keep the older waiting, he knew just how busy Taeil was after all. Ten didn’t get it why Yuta had to ask the older to sit with Ten during lunch though, Ten could manage even if he was just by himself.

 

As he had just gotten out of the dormitory building, hands tightly clutched onto the straps of his backpack when, as if by coincidence, Ten heard his name being called from behind. “Hey, Ten.”

 

He turned around and was greeted by a common face. “Hyung…..”

 

It was Hansol. He, too, was wearing the exact same uniform as Ten but only with a different colored neck tie reserved for the third years. Hansol neared him, both hands stuffed inside the pocket on his slacks coolly and a default expression on his face. His height was so towering that Ten had to look up when the older stood in front of him. “Are you feeling better? Are you still in pain?”

 

“All I needed was to rest and I’m perfectly fine now.” Ten managed to offer him a small smile.

 

It was slightly endearing, how concerned Hansol was of him. Despite being a demon－ and being one of the strongest kind to boot－ Ten just couldn’t find it in himself to resent the Royal Goblin. Yeah, Hansol scared the shit out of Ten, like Johnny did, but there was something about the Goblin that made Ten feel at ease. It was the same case as for Yuta, Doyoung and Taeil; Ten felt safe around them, he did so too with Hansol. And Hansol had done alot for Ten; saving him for Johnny’s ministrations, taking care of him while he was passed out. It was also Hansol that suggested that he should take a few days off from school to fully recover, but Ten declined and assured that he could manage himself just fine. Ten couldn’t hate Hansol no matter how hard he tried.

 

It would seem like Hansol was also exempted from Ten’s bitter hatred of the other specie.

 

“That’s good to hear.”

 

Following through Hansol’s spontaneous idea, both made their way together towards the cafeteria since Hansol was also headed to the same location to meet up with his friends. With Johnny probably, Ten thought. Hansol saw nothing wrong with going there together so he offered and Ten wasn’t stupid enough to turn it down. They hardly spoke to each other as they walked so Ten could hear a few murmurs from their surroundings as they were inside a big building and into a familiar hallway. A few students were looking at them, heads turned at their direction, some shocked, some scandalized at the sight of the infamous Ji Hansol casually striding besides a simple and plain looking freshman, like they were friends or something. It was intimidating, _very_. But Ten chose to ignore their nonsense chatter, duck his head down and blocked out any noise at all. He knew Hansol heard them too, but the latter didn’t say anything and kept quiet.

 

Then Ten suddenly remembered something, something very important he almost had completely overlooked. He turned to the Goblin when he was sure that there wasn’t anyone near them to hear what he had to say. “Hyung, could I ask for your help? Just a small favor.”

 

“About?”

 

“Ummmm…” There wasn’t a hint of reluctance in Hansol’s face whatsoever and it made Ten nervous. He took a rather audible gulp, to swallow down the lump that was forming in his throat. Why did he have to ask and make everything complicated for himself? Although Ten tried his hardest not to show his nerves and keep his cool, Hansol could still see right through him. _Damn him and his extraordinary powers._ “I-I left my necklace at J-John.. his room.” Shit, he stuttered. Hansol quirked a questioning brow but urged the younger to continue. “And that n-necklace is really important, I-I need it back. C-can you please help me, hyung?”

 

 

“Okay. But when was the last time you saw it?”

 

Ten bit his lower lip before he continued, all the recalling was putting a strain on him. It still hurt, not physically; it hurt just by remembering.“He took it off and threw it somewhere before h-he ummm… he….” Why was it so hard? Why was everything so hard for Ten? Just how big was the scar on his moral that Johnny left behind? Just how far did Johnny break him?

 

“It’s alright, don’t push yourself,” Hansol said, sensing the younger’s struggle and distress. Talking about it might be bad for Ten and Hansol didn’t want to urge him further if he wasn’t cut out for it. “ Okay, sure. I’ll find it for you.”

 

 

Ten’s face lit up at the promise but, “Under one condition, then I’ll get your necklace back for you,” Hansol added which made Ten’s smile turn upside down almost instantly. “Can you not go near him again, ever?”

 

 

Ten frowned deeply, had not expected that last statement.“What? What do you mean, hyung?”

 

 

“Avoid Johnny, as much as possible. As much as you can.” They had stopped walking by then, Hansol also made sure to lower his voice by an octave. Hansol had turned serious, he had to be. The humidity in the air was also low, slightly cool. It wasn’t threatening, Hansol was just cautious; his eyes bore into Ten's eyes intensely, allowing them to linger there for a bit, probably more than necessary. “It would keep you safe, and it would keep Johnny away from harm.”

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten arrived at the cafeteria shortly after his rather strange conversation with Hansol at the hallway. They didn’t enter together, Ten allowed the older to go in first. Ten didn’t want the entire school to go into a frenzy just because he was seen beside Hansol. Though puzzled, Hansol respected the younger’s decision and he took his leave, but not forgetting to remind Ten about their little agreement before he left. Ten pondered on the Goblin’s previous words as he stared at Hansol’s retreating back and frowned at the thought.

 

_“It would keep you safe, and it would keep Johnny away from harm.”_

 

 _W_ _as it a warning?_ Ten wasn’t so sure. But why did Hansol bothered telling him in the first place? And why would avoiding Johnny keep him away from harm? Hansol made it sound like Ten was the bad guy, like he could hurt Johnny, when it fact it was Johnny himself who did horrible things to Ten. Ten did not understand. It was Johnny who should stay away from Ten, not the other way around.

 

It was Johnny that was evil, not him.

 

 

Without much of a fuss and after he composed himself, Ten entered the cafeteria and neared their group’s usual table at the far end side of the area and saw Taeil sitting by himself, head buried in a thick textbook he was reading. Probably feeling Ten’s presence close by, the older looked up. He was wearing glasses that day, pushing them back up snugly and staring at the younger. “Hey, Yuta told me you missed your morning classes since you weren’t feeling well so I got you something.” He closed the book he was reading and gestured for the plate of fruit salad in front Ten. “Eat up, you could use the energy.”

 

“Thanks, hyung,” Ten said with a smile as he settled himself to sit across Taeil. Ten was a picky eater and was glad that Taeil had been considerate and just ordered him salad instead.

 

“How are you holding up?”

 

“Still feeling dizzy but I’m fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

 

Taeil hummed softly then returned back to his book. They ate in silence, Taeil rarely talked at all but Ten didn’t seem to care about the lack of conversation.

 

Alot of thoughts were crossing Ten’s head unconsciously. No matter how hard it was, Ten couldn’t help but shiver every time the memory of that night came back in his mind. How powerless he felt, how venerable, how easily manipulated. And Ten hated it, hated the thought of being overpowered by someone; but it was Johnny, and Johnny was the most powerful demon in the face of the earth.

 

Johnny was probably sitting on his usual spot with Hansol, with his gang of demons, Ten thought. Laughing at Ten and his embarrassing state like nothing happened, like he hadn’t violated Ten in the first place, but Ten willed himself not to turn around, not to give a fuck, nor to spare him a quick glance. Ten knew he shouldn’t, but there was a faint voice inside his head that urged him to, telling him to look at Johnny since he would be missing out on something if he didn’t.

 

Ten knew that the mishap with Johnny last night and all the nightmares it would trigger was going to haunt him for the rest of his mortal life, chasing him till his deathbed. But there was no escape, Ten just had to suck it all in and play it safe. Silently reminding himself that the Alpha Incubus was his main target, that Johnny was the very reason why Ten came to Labyrinth, and that Ten still have to keep a close eye on him. He had to finish his mission; his mission was his number one priority, even more than his own safety, even more than his own life.

 

“Ten, what’s that?” The sudden question from Taeil came and broke Ten’s train of thought.

 

“What’s what?” Ten asked as he turned to the older, slightly confused.

 

“That.” Taeil held his right index finger up and pointed at a specific region in Ten’s neck. “The mark on your neck.”

 

_What mark?_

 

Taeil’s face remained passive, but his eyes glinted in worry. “Did someone bite you?”

 

_Did someone bit_ _－_

 

Ten’s eyes widened at the realization behind the elder’s word and his face paled.

 

_O_ _h shit._

 


	9. Lose Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Johnny the day after the incident (same time as Ten's from the last chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.... it this really something else. Enjoy y'all! Idk if you'll be shookt or not. XD
> 
> much gratitude to my beta! xoxo

It was a cold morning, the wind was freezing－ a storm was probably approaching－ and it harshly bit on his bare skin; but Johnny couldn’t care enough to move. Johnny was at the rooftop of the senior’s dormitory building, watching the clear sky above, uncaring about how the temperature was dropping by the second.

 

He attended his classes like Hansol wanted him to but his mind just kept wandering off in between lessons and Johnny decided that he didn’t give a fuck anymore. He skipped his last period for that morning and went to the roof, to sort out his messy thoughts somehow. He kept thinking about it, with eyes closed or not. Johnny unconsciously dragged his tongue to lick his bottom lip. Albeit a few hours had already passed since then, he could still taste Ten on his mouth.

 

Ten was intoxicating, needy and feisty. Everything about him turned Johnny on; his extraordinary scent, his strong character, his lewd and sexy body. Johnny could still remember how Ten trembled underneath him, how bravely he fought Johnny and his ministrations yet failed miserably, how those wanton moans escaped his luscious lips without remorse, how tightly he clasped onto Johnny’s fingers, how his entire being was begging Johnny to take him. And Johnny can’t seem to have enough; he wanted more of Ten. His inner Alpha wanted to claim him once more, his incubus side wanted to fuck Ten senseless until he couldn’t stand on his own, but Johnny himself didn’t want to hurt Ten again like he did.

 

 _What the fuck was happening to me?_  Johnny squeezed his eyes shut tightly. His own thoughts were betraying him again. He shouldn’t even be thinking about it.

 

“I knew I’d find you here,” a familiar deep voice called from behind. “Hansol has been looking for you.”

 

“I needed to be alone.” Johnny grunted in annoyance before he slowly opened his eyes, not wanting the extra company. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was, he had felt the other’s presence even from far away.

 

Taeyong walked towards him and sat by his side at the floor. “You feeling alright, Johnny?” he asked, spreading his feet so he would be comfortable. Johnny did not answer so he rephrased his query, “how long have you been here anyway?”

 

“I don’t know. I lost track of time,” Johnny replied, his voice sounded hoarse, his throat was too dry.

 

Taeyong hummed, looking over the other’s disheveled state; his face was red, probably from the coldness of the air. “You look troubled. What’s wrong?”

 

Johnny didn’t respond immediately, he was staring at nothing. He was lost, he felt so lost. “I did something bad, Tae….” he started, hadn’t even turned to look at the Dementor. “Really bad.”

 

Taeyong frowned. He was used to Johnny causing problems－ Taeyong had witnessed them all since they were childhood friends－ but it seemed like it was far more serious than all his previous shenanigans. “What did you do this time?”

 

Johnny was slightly reluctant, not sure if he should tell anyone else other than Hansol. But it was Taeyong, Johnny thought. And he knew he could trust Taeyong just as he did with Hansol. “I bit someone.”

 

Taeyong’s eyes widened, the sudden proclamation caught him off guard. “You did what?!”

 

“I bit someone,” Johnny repeated, not as remorseful as the first time.

 

Taeyong tried taking in deep breaths through his nose, nothing good was ever gonna happen if he lost his cool in front of Johnny. Because if Johnny had a bad temper, Taeyong did too. “So let me get this straight, you marked someone?”

 

“A territorial one,” Johnny corrected.

 

Taeyong desperately wanted to rip his friend’s throat out. Placing a territorial mark on someone only meant trouble. Johnny was stuck in deep shit. “Johnny, you’ve never acted this impulsively before.”

 

“I know.” Johnny sighed, sounding more broken had he first intended to be. “It’s just…. I lost control.”

 

“You …. lost control?” Taeyong stared in disbelief. Hansol already briefed him earlier about what Johnny had done the night before but he hadn’t expected it was _that_ serious. Hansol never mentioned about Johnny claiming someone! “How could have you lost control?”

 

“Something is wrong with me, Tae.” Johnny was just as confused as Taeyong was, he didn’t know why either! “I know I shouldn’t have done that. But I still did it.”

 

“Johnny, when you said you lost control, did you mean your demons?” Taeyong clarified. “You lost control of your own demons?”

 

Johnny nodded his head idly and Taeyong cursed aloud. What had Johnny gotten himself into? It wasn’t good. “Johnny, who is it?” Taeyong asked, serious and frantic. “Who did you bite?”

 

“Does it matter?”

 

“Of course it does! You attacked and bit them forcefully! Did you think it’ll turn out fine afterwards?! What the hell were you even thinking?!?” Taeyong was pissed as hell－ oh yes, he was－but he was also guilty. He should have been there when everything happened, he should have stopped Johnny from making a terrible mistake. His room was the closest to Johnny’s, yet he wasn’t even aware. Hansol shouldn’t have handled all of it by himself, Taeyong should have done something.

 

“How do I fix this? Is there even a way of fixing this?”

 

“You of all people should know you can’t undo a mark once you’ve staked your claim.” Taeyong sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He could already feel a headache coming up. “It’s an Alpha’s mark, Johnny. It’s in your instinct to be territorial.” If that was the case, then Johnny was basically just acting on pure impulse. His inner wolf was getting the best of him, clouding his better judgment. But one thing wasn’t still adding up though, “did your incubus allow you to do it? To place a mark on that person?”

 

Johnny pondered on it for a moment, “I don’t know, I guess? It just happened.”

 

Then it could only mean one thing ….

 

 

 

 

 

“Johnny .. what if..” Taeyong started, quite unsure on how to say it easily so that Johnny wouldn’t be stupefied, “what if that person was your mate?”

 

 

 

 

“My what?!”

 

“Your _mate_ ,” Taeyong repeated. “Isn’t it said that an incubus may indulge in sexual activities with anyone but will only crave his mate?” Taeyong was no genius but he knew a thing or two about other demons. “It goes everything against your incubi nature to be tied down to someone just because of a mark, but maybe that’s why the incubus inside you didn’t resist when your alpha claimed someone, it was because that person was your mate.”

 

“It’s impossible. I would have known if he was my mate from the very beginning.” Johnny was dumbfounded. Taeyong’s words were perfectly logical but Johnny refused to believe them. The idea of Ten being his mate was ludicrous. The casual hook-ups and one night stands－ no matter how good it was－ were all the same, but mates were different, they were supposed to be _special._  Alphas were supposed to recognize their mate at first glance, same was true for incubi. They can’t pick who their mate would be, but they would _know_ who. “Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”

 

Taeyong wasn’t even fazed when Johnny used _he._ “Normally,” but nothing was ever normal for Johnny. “We don’t know for sure. I’ll do some research about this.” There were alot of unknown information left to unravel about Johnny’s demons so Taeyong was certain that they could still do something about it. They just needed to find out what. “Everything will be clear, Johnny. Trust me,” Taeyong assured, trying to cheer the other up, but it wasn’t working. Not one bit.

* * *

 

 

 

 

After much persuasion from Taeyong and since Johnny did not want to deal with all the dementor’s nonstop scoldings, both went to the cafeteria, much to Johnny’s annoyance. He wasn’t even hungry, he didn’t need food, he needed something else－  _someone_ moreprecisely.

 

When the double doors to the cafeteria room opened dramatically, the entire area quieted down as they saw who the newcomers were. Johnny scoffed, he was not even a bit surprised at the reaction they received.

 

Both made their way in silence. But Johnny suddenly stopped when he felt a familiar presence, quite far from where he stood. He turned and saw Ten sitting beside Taeil at a distant table, just across their’s. Johnny’s eyes were focused on him, zoned in, ignored everything else in the proximity that wasn’t Ten or those that had nothing to do with him. Then everything suddenly came rushing back, everything that happened that night, playing over his mind again and again like it was on repeat, like a broken vinyl record.

 

His Alpha was in a frenzy; he wanted to be close to Ten. His Incubus wasn’t any better; he wanted Ten.

 

Johnny turned away, tightened his fists until his knuckles turned white like a piece of paper. He shouldn’t look at him, he had to control himself. _Control yourself,_ Johnny chanted in his head repeatedly like a mantra but it was doing him no good. His insides were burning and an animalistic growl was threatening to erupt past his lips just at the thought of him.

 

Taeyong might have felt the sudden shift in Johnny’s demeanor. He could feel Taeyong glaring, the latter’s dark yet invisible mist was looming above his head, stealing a bit of his physical strength; not to intentionally hurt Johnny but to get him to calm down. So Johnny continued walking until Ten was out of his sight. He willed himself to focus on something else.

 

“You skipped class again,” Hansol said, oblivious to what had just happened to Johnny when the latter and Taeyong finally arrived at their table. “What did I tell you about not doing that?”

 

Taeyong took his usual seat beside Jaehyun, greeting the vampire while Johnny sat beside the Goblin. “Yeah, yeah. I got caught up and－”

 

And there it was again, that awfully familiar yet alluring smell. It was Ten’s scent－ no doubt－ and it was close by. It made Johnny frown. Where the hell was it coming from? Johnny’s nose was sensitive so he turned, finding the source of the stench and his eyes landed on Hansol. Hansol looked back at him when he felt Johnny’s piercing gaze and made a face. There was no denying it, it was indeed Ten’s delectable scent, and it was on Hansol.

 

_What the fuck?_

 

Johnny did not know what got into him when he harshly grabbed onto Hansol by his collar which caught their entire table by surprise. Johnny’s vice grip was strong enough to tear the Goblin’s uniform. “Why do you have his scent on you?” he asked, almost agitated.

 

Hansol was stunned for a second before his expression turned passive again. He already knew who Johnny was talking about. “We talked briefly. I coincidentally met him on my way here earlier.”

 

Johnny knew that Hansol would never lie to him, Hansol would never think of betraying Johnny, but Johnny was left unsatisfied with the explanation. The thought of Ten being with another irked him, made him really mad. _And it had to be Hansol of all people, huh?_ “Know your place, Hansol.”

 

“What the hell are you even saying, hyung?” It was Jaehyun who said it, wanting to intervene before the entire thing escalated into an ugly fight. He was confused; why the other was acting like that? “Stop it!”

 

“I didn’t do anything to him,” Hansol reasoned, remained unfazed. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

 

There was something in Hansol’s timbre that made Johnny’s skin crawl in patent wrath, he twisted his wrist and tightened his hold on Hansol. “Stay away from what’s mine if you know what’s good for you.” He bared his teeth, something he shouldn’t have done in the first place, exacting utter submission from the Goblin but Hansol was one tough nut to crack. Although Johnny’s drastic demand was messing with his head, he wouldn’t bow down to someone that easily, not even Johnny, not without a purpose.

 

“Johnny calm the fuck down,” Taeyong warned through gritted teeth. The situation was getting out of hand and they were at the open area for crying out loud! It wasn’t the best time or place for them to kill each other. “Your scent is all over the place.”

 

Johnny’s heavy pheromones were indeed evident and everyone in the area would have noticed if Taeyong hadn’t been fast enough to conceal the scent from spreading any further. Johnny didn’t know why he was angry in the first place, he just was.

 

Jaehyun took hold of Johnny’s hand that was grasping Hansol. His palms were cold, very cold. “Hyung, don’t lose yourself. Keep your cool.”

 

Then a sudden feeling struck Johnny hard. He immediately let go of Hansol－the latter heaved a deep breath when he did －and Johnny turned his head.

 

“Tae. Cast your shadows near Taeil’s table,” Johnny ordered. “Just enough for only Taeil to feel.”

 

“What?”

 

 

 

 

“Tae. Cast your shadows near Taeil’s table,” Johnny ordered. “Just enough for only Taeil to feel.”

 

Taeyong was puzzled at the abrupt request. “What?”

 

“Just do what I say!” Johnny barked, urgent and unrestrained. Taeyong swore he caught a glimpse of Jaehyun flinching.

 

Taeyong glared at Johnny, he hated it most when someone raised their voices on him irrationally－ especially his friends－ but there was a hint of urgency in the other’s voice that forced Taeyong to comply against his will. Taeyong sighed, quite vexed, before he turned around and set his eyes on Taeil from across their table at the other end of the cafeteria. _This is not gonna turn out good_ , Taeyong believed. Taeil did not like it when Taeyong would use his powers anywhere near him or against him. But Taeyong was relieved knowing that the angel was the only one who could withstand his prowess; he wouldn’t get hurt. And Johnny knew that too. Taeyong wasn’t harming Taeil or anything along those lines, he was just distracting him from something Johnny wanted him to ignore. And surprisingly, Hansol helped as well, flicked his index finger until the air was chilly, probably just at Taeil’s table so that the latter would notice quickly.

 

And he did. Taeil’s senses were fast to pick up the sudden fluctuation of temperature and turned to Taeyong and his gang, assuming that they were the culprits. _He’s mad, he has to be_ , Taeyong thought. And it would take a lot of time before Taeil started warming up to him again, not after their last fight.

 

Taeyong sighed as he waved his hand and the shadows behind Taeil disappeared but the latter was still frowning at him before he turned back to the younger boy he was talking to－Ten, if Taeyong could still remember his name.

 

The dementor felt Johnny relaxing in front of him when Taeyong turned to them as he was done. “Thanks, Tae.”

 

Something was different about Johnny then, gone was that alarming and dangerous state of his. Taeyong was very relieved. “You owe me, big time.”

 

Johnny only chuckled in amusement.

 

“What was that for?” But Jaehyun was still confused about the turn of events and he needed answers.

 

“Taeyong’s boy was scaring him away.”

 

“Who?” Jaehyun tilted his head to the side in question. “The kid Taeil-hyung is with?”

 

“He’s not my _boy,_  Johnny,” Taeyong snorted before something doomed on him. “But wait－ how did you know that he was afraid of Taeil?”

 

“I felt it.” Johnny shrugged his shoulders dismissively, like it was already obvious. “There was something in the back of my head saying that he was.”

 

 

 

 

It took a few more seconds before the rest of the group digested the newly told information and their eyes widened incredibly. “You fel－ Holy fuck hyung, you could feel his emotions!” Jaehyun blurted out but lowered his voice intermediately after he perceived that he had managed to grab unwanted attention. Hansol glared at the young vampire and at the rest of the students in the cafeteria who were listening in on them. They ducked their heads and turned away, afraid to face the wrath of a serious Ji Hansol.

 

“For a wolf to have the ability of feeling someone else’s emotions, you know what that means, right?” Jaehyun continued, in both caution and interest..

 

Then Johnny’s face dropped at the realization.

 

 

 

 

“Oh, shit,” Taeyong hissed under his breath. Everything was adding up! Why Johnny was acting like that, why he did what he did, it made perfect sense! _So wait, it was Ten who Johnny marked?_

 

“Jaehyun, stop,” Hansol warned. Hansol looked like he understood the entire situation as well.

 

 

 

 

“He’s your mate, hyung,” Jaehyun finished.

 


	10. Yamazaki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Ten again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, much love for all the comments and kudos y'all! Xoxo
> 
> Shoutout to my wonderful beta. :)

“That.” Taeil held his right index finger up and pointed at a specific region in Ten’s neck. “The mark on your neck.”

 

_What mark?_

 

Taeil’s face remained passive, but his eyes glint in worry. “Did someone bite you?”

 

 _Did someone bite_ _－_

 

Ten’s eyes widened at the realization behind the elder’s word and his face paled.

 

 _O_ _h shit._

 

Ten could feel his frantic heartbeats beating loudly against his chest at the question, dry sweat formed on his temples and he was panicking. He felt stupid, how could he have forgotten that Johnny bit him the night before and it left a mark? _Stupid, stupid,_ Ten internally scolded himself for being so careless. He should have covered it up!

 

And the fact that Taeil was looking at Ten weirdly wasn’t helping at all. The older was awaiting the latter’s response but Ten couldn’t come up with an immediate response. Ten was worried; what if other people saw it as well? Not just Taeil?

 

_Does Taeil-hyung know?_

 

But it was unlikely, Ten believed. Taeil wouldn’t suspect that it was Johnny who made the mark, right? Or would he?

 

Ten was hesitant on what to say. He should have just made up some random excuse like a mosquito bit him instead (but mosquito bites weren’t big like the one of his neck so it would be stupid). Ten opened his mouth but his own voice faltered and closed it again in reluctance.

 

 _What am I going to do?_ Ten was scared.

 

Taeil looked like he was going to say something, “Ten, wh－” but he abruptly stopped midway.

 

“Hyung?” Ten was confused at the unforeseen pause. The air was suddenly chilly and Taeil grew silent. He wasn’t looking at Ten anymore but rather, his eyes were looking past Ten. Taeil was frowning, disappointment shone on his face and Ten couldn’t decipher why.

 

“What’s wrong?” he dared to ask when he saw that Taeil had turned his eyes back on him.

 

“It’s nothing, Ten,” the older answered, rather serious and dismissive as he bowed his head and returned back to his book. “Just continue eating.”

 

_What just happened?_

 

Though he was concerned at the elder’s spontaneous attitude shift and cold shoulder, Ten shrugged it off and ate his food before the bell rang, quietly thanking whatever deity that was watching over him and saved him from Taeil’s possible interrogation.

 

 

 

 

Taeil went on ahead when lunch was over since the older had his own classes and his building was at the opposite side of the school, away from Ten’s. Ten granted the elder permission as he left and waved him goodbye. After he was done with his food, Ten grabbed his bag and made his way to his next class when he spotted a familiar figure at the hallway. “Oh Ten, there you are. Glad we saw you. Could I have a minute?” the person called and motioned for Ten to come near.

 

Ten bowed slightly as he approached the older male. “Yes, sir?”

 

Minho smiled at him and took hold of him by the shoulder. “I want to introduce you to Lee Taemin.” He gestured for the other man standing beside him (which Ten failed to notice before). “He’s the newly added faculty. He’ll be teaching Dance, your block exactly,” Minho introduced. “Mr. Kim is on temporary leave because of some personal issues and Mr. Lee here will fill up for him while he’s gone.”

 

Like Minho, Taemin was also wearing a semi-identical white long sleeved shirt which was buttoned to the very top, neatly tucked into his black pants and coupled off with polished black leather shoes. His hair was blonde but it was slightly purple at the ends and Ten found it quite fascinating. _Was it natural or did he dye it?_ Taemin offered a friendly handshake which Ten gratefully took. His hand was warm, Ten noted. “Nice to meet you. Minho told me how of a great dancer you are.”

 

The statement caught Ten off caught as he retrieved his outreached hand and gave Minho a questioning look when he turned to the latter. “Did Mr. Kim tell you that?” Mr. Kim was their previous dance instructor.

 

“No, your father did,” Minho explained. “He wouldn’t stop bragging about it before.”

 

 _No wonder._ “He’s bluffing,” Ten said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes in front of his teachers. _Dad exaggerates on everything._ “I’m not _that_ good.”

 

“Don’t be too modest, Ten,” Minho argued. “You know for a fact how such of a horrible liar your dad could be.”

 

“You do have a point, sir.” Ten did not have the heart to argue when Minho was right. Donghae was definitely a lousy liar.

 

“Can’t wait to see you dance in class to verify it for myself then. I have a keen eye for talent.” There was a hint of cockiness and sass in the Taemin’s voice that perfectly blended well with his physique and it piqued Ten’s interest.

 

“Yes sir,” Ten answered, fought back a grin that threatened to break into his facial features.

 

“I forgot to mention, Taemin knows Donghae-hyung, too.”

 

“You’re friends with my dad?!” Ten turned to Taemin almost too eagerly.

 

Taemin nodded his head but it was Minho who further explained, “he’s a human, if that’s you’re wondering about.”

 

“Really?!?” Ten exclaimed. _No wonder his hands were warm. Ten_  was shocked, but definitely pleased as well. Ten had been in Labyrinth for a few weeks but he hadn’t met a fellow human before, Ten was ecstatic. Not only was Taemin gonna teach dance but he was also his kind.

 

 _I like him,_ Ten decided.

 

Taemin smiled at him and Ten was dumbstruck at the sight. It wasn’t anything strange per se but－

there was something about the way that Taemin’s eyes wrinkled as the corner of his lips tugged up into a gentle smile that Ten thought was awfully familiar, like he had seen it before－ he just wasn’t sure when and where.

 

“What is it?” Taemin managed to pick up the fixed gaze the younger boy had on him. The dancer teacher turned to Minho but the latter only shrugged his shoulders, not understanding as well. “Do you have something to say or ask?”

 

“I’m sorry to sound rude but ….” Ten started, “have we meet before?”

 

Taemin looked stunned for a brief second before he managed to regain himself. “I don’t think so.” He shook his head nicely. “If we did, I would have remembered.”

 

Ten thought otherwise, he just chose not to voice it out. There was something off－ but what?

 

 

 

 

Classes had ended like as scheduled and the other kids groaned in celebration as another day of difficult lessons passed but the promise of stacks of homework wasn’t pleasing. Ten sympathized them－ why was Math so damn hard anyway? Ten arranged his things and placed them neatly inside his backpack, eyeing the empty seat beside him with a frown.

 

Yuta hadn’t returned to class like he said he would. Ten felt lonely for the first in awhile, he was alone for the entire afternoon. Although Yuta could be a nuisance sometimes－ and clearly did not knew what personal space was even if it bit him in the ass－ but his presence actually made a big impact on Ten. Ten made a mental note to scold the Elf if they would meet later on.

 

As Ten was about to stand up and leave－ since everyone already did－ their classroom’s door suddenly slid open and in came a rather intimidating and unwanted guest. The intruder was fast; he was leaning across the door frame a second ago and then he was suddenly standing in front of Ten, a smirk plastered on his face, eyeing Ten mischievously and with interest. Ten was stupefied.

 

_Why is he here?_

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hi. I’m Jung Jaehyun, a second year,” the vampire introduced himself nonchalantly and even held out his hand but Ten did not move nor made any attempt at accepting the gesture. “You’re Ten, right?” Ten did not answer and Jaehyun stared at his hand, pouted at the obvious rejection. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”

 

As if Ten could trust him.

 

Ten took a step back, trying to widen the distance between them. He was in a room alone with Jaehyun, one of Johnny’s friends－ it only meant trouble. One could only guess what was going on the vampire’s twisted mind and why he sought after Ten in broad daylight.

 

“What do you want from me?” Jaehyun had just been eyeing him the whole time and it bugged Ten, the extra attention made him conscious.

 

“Nothing,” Jaehyun answered lowly as he shook his head. “I was just curious about you.”

 

“About me?” Why would Jung Jaehyun even bother sparing an ordinary person like Ten a second glance? What was he up to?

 

“Yeah, what you’re like. I’ve never seen you up close.” The vampire took a step closer and by instinct, Ten took a another step back. “Strange, I can’t feel your aura.”

 

 _What’s new?_ Ten was tempted to snap back at him but chose to stay silent instead. A number of people had already told Ten that they couldn’t feel what he was. Ten was confused about it at first but learned to accept it wholeheartedly; it wasn’t shocking as before, not anymore at least.

 

Jaehyun kept pacing towards Ten slowly, like a predator stalking his prey until Ten was backed up against the wall that was close to the window at the side. Jaehyun was close, _too_ close, that Ten could feel the vampire’s breath ghost just above his cheek since Jaehyun was taller than he was－ not as tall as Hansol and Johnny though－. “No wonder hyung’s demons chose you. You’re indeed very special,” Jaehyun continued with a whisper, for only Ten to hear. _What did he mean by that? Who?_  “You smell kinda sweet, I’m certain your _blood_  is too. Sweet just as you.” Ten felt shivers run down his spine at the preceding assertions. Ten caught a glimpse of the vampire’s face from the corner of his eyes. Jaehyun was smirking as he stared down at him, eyeing that certain region in his neck and his eyes were red, blood red. Ten wanted to say something, to push the vampire away or even punch him in the face but before he could－ 

 

“Jung, what are doing here?!” a loud voice from the doorway shouted. “Stay away from him!”

 

Jaehyun withdrew from his earlier position and turned to glance at the newcomer. “I should ask you the same thing.” Jaehyun smiled and answered with a tone of familiarity. “Nice to see you too, Doyoung.”

 

Doyoung quickly ran to Ten’s side and stood between Ten and Jaehyun to shield the former from Jaehyun’s ministrations. “Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Doyoung was making a fuss and he sounded very concerned.

 

“I’m fine,” Ten assured to calm the other down but Doyoung was having none of it.

 

“Yuta wanted me to check if you were still here,” Doyoung explained. “You being alone in a room with this nuisance was definitely not what I expected.” He immediately turned to the other vampire and sent him one of his infamous death glares. “Jung, what did you do to him?!”

 

“Have some faith in me, Doyoung. You know I wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone Ten.” Jaehyun feigned innocence but it was clearly a lie. “I would never touch what isn’t mine.”

 

_What?_

 

“Back away, Jung,” Doyoung warned but the other wouldn’t listen.

 

Jaehyun stood ridiculously close to Doyoung and Ten saw how Doyoung slightly flinched at their proximity. “Are you jealous, Doyoung?” Jaehyun cooed, both in teasing and amusement. “You shouldn’t be, I still prefer your blood over anyone else－ if you just let me get a taste.”

 

Ten saw how Jaehyun licked his bottom lip in a rather not-so subtle and sexual manner. There was clearly some kind of tension going on between the two and Ten didn’t want to know the details.

 

“Fuck off, Jung!” Doyoung exclaimed as he pushed the other by his shoulder to maximize his space. Jaehyun was breathing down his air and it pissed Doyoung. “Leave us alone.”

 

But Jaehyun wasn’t affected, not at all. Although he stumbled backwards at the force Doyoung used, he regained his footing and stood his ground. “Fine, I’ll leave.”

 

Doyoung didn’t answer－ he saw no gain if he did－ and pursed his lips in a tight line. Jaehyun chuckled instead.

 

“Bye, Doyoung,” Jaehyun said with a shameless flirtatious wink before he finally retreated his steps. Doyoung hissed at the statement－ there was some obvious bad blood between them and Ten did not want to be caught up in any of it. But before the vampire went pass the door, Jaehyun turned to Ten’s direction, a sickening sweet smile on his face and said, “see you around Ten, we’ll be seeing each other much often after all.”

 


	11. Sayonara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

_“Zutto koshite….. kimi o tsutsunde …yorisoi aruketanara …..”_

 

Ten had just dropped by at the school dance studio when a familiar tune and melody boomed from the speakers, rung past the entire dance room, and echoed through the walls. Ten knew the song immediately after the beat dropped. It was a popular Japanese piece－ Sayonara Hitori (A Lonely Goodbye).  

 

He stood by the door, peaking through the glass－ someone was inside. Ten made sure he was quiet as he entered the room, he did not want to disrupt the other as he was engrossed in his art. Ten watched silently. Taemin was very beautiful when he danced, Ten decided.

 

Taemin started off simple, sat on the floor, his body was loose and soft like a feather even as he trashed around, light and nimble, spun in circles and threw his hands in numerous directions. But as the volume started to increase and when the song came into chorus, so did his movements. He had stood up, popped then locked his body in the right ways and Ten was left in awe. Taemin as a person in general and as a dancer were two different people entirely, he had a whole different personality when he performed and Ten was utterly speechless at each movement. The demeanor the teacher carried when he turned and easily waved his body was extraordinary, his eyes and facial expression screamed intense concentration and it was remarkable, it added effect to his over-all presentation.

 

For a dancer, Taemin was strong yet he still had control over his movements and it never crossed as shabby, vain, or lacking. He was fluid, like a flowing stream on a sunny day, his actions were sharp and precise that even his breathing seemed like it was in sync with the melody of the song. Beads of sweat were evident on his forehead from all his excessive actions but as he threw his head back marginally, luminous flashes from the lights of the room hit his face, it made it seem like he was glittering and Ten was taken aback at the sight. Taemin was so focused that he hadn’t noticed Ten gawk at him from the side. Taemin drowned himself as he performed for self satisfaction－ a true artist.

 

The beat slowly died down and faltered, and Taemin was back on the floor, panted heavily to catch his breath － it was done. “That was amazing, sir!” Ten exclaimed enthusiastically and found himself clapping his hands when the music stopped.

 

Taemin turned his head to the source of the applause, then stood up and smiled to acknowledge the younger boy’s presence. “What did I tell you, Ten? Call me hyung if we’re out of the classroom.”

 

“Sorry, still not used to it.” Ten rubbed the back of his nape sheepishly.

 

“Yeah, you will be.” Taemin beckoned for him to come near and Ten did before he dropped his things at the corner. Taemin was drinking from his bottle as his other free hand wiped the sweat on his neck and face with a towel. “That was the dance that I want to teach you. A colleague of mine choreographed it while she was in Japan and taught it to me. I thought it would be amazing if you did it too, the style suits you.”

 

“I don’t think I could dance it like the way you do though,” Ten mumbled, quite embarrassed. Taemin was talented in dance, Ten could never compare to the elder’s caliber. The expectations were high since Taemin himself  had offered to teach Ten some routines outside class hours and Ten did not want to disappoint him.

 

“What are you talking about? You are an amazing dancer.” Taemin had only began teaching at Labyrinth for a few days but in between classes, he had deemed Ten to be impressive and noted him as a very fast learner. He was the best in his batch and Taemin wanted to explore the younger’s potential some more.

 

Taemin’s words had a way of boosting his ego and self-confidence. “Yeah, why else would you waste your time teaching me, right?” Ten teased and Taemin laughed. They began their session shortly after Ten had finished his stretches and Taemin was ready to start.

 

It was nice, spending time with Taemin, Ten thought. Being with him allowed Ten to forget some things that had been bugging him for a few days. He felt at ease, and there was a sense of familiarity in the air between them that Ten couldn’t simply ignore. But that was strange, Taemin said they had never met before so why would he feel like that?

 

Ten went back to his dorm after their lesson. Both have classes to attend to the following day so they called it a night. Taemin offered to drop him off but Ten declined, the older accompanied him to door instead. 

 

The evening was rather chilly but Ten could manage and hugged his jacket closer to his body. It was already past 11 o’clock and the entire grounds appeared deserted, students were most likely locked in the comfort of their warm rooms. Ten’s dorm building was just close by so it wasn’t that much of a hassle. However, as he was walking, Ten couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him. But when he turned around, he saw no one there.

 

 _Must have been my imagination,_ Ten thought but brushed it off.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I give up.” Johnny groaned in frustration at the sight of piles of papers and stacks of books laid on his table. “I’m so done with this crap.”

 

“Concentrate, Johnny,” Taeyong scolded lightly as he skillfully twirled his pencil around his fingers. They were at Johnny’s dorm, in his own room precisely, catching up on some overdue homework that needed to be done by the end of the night. “We need to finish this.”

 

“Why do we even have to? This is stupid.”

 

“Do you want to graduate or not?”

 

“Does it even matter?” Johnny snorted then casually leaned back against his chair.

 

Despite being powerful demons and rich heirs, Taeyong, Hansol and Johnny, were still ordinary students of the school and were seniors to top it all off. Given they only have a year left before they graduate, they had a ton of workload. Unlike the other two, Johnny saw no point in any of it. He would most likely still be his father’s successor even without a high school diploma－ his family wouldn’t care. Same as Taeyong and Hansol. So why were they working their asses off just to get good grades in the first place?

 

“Of course it does. A diploma means a ticket to college.” It was Hansol who answered, eyes busy scanning through his thick calculus book. “Who would take you seriously if you don’t have a degree?”

 

Johnny frowned. What were the use of their powers then? Was it just for show? “I can’t do this anymore.” Johnny stood up abruptly that his chair fell down when he shot to his feet. He finally had enough.

 

“Where are you going?” Taeyong asked, his forehead knitted in tight lines.

 

“To take a jog outside,” Johnny said. “I need fresh air. Just finish everything, you can manage without me but don’t lock the room when you leave.”

 

“JOHNN－” But Johnny was already out the door even before the two other demons could protest or stop him. They couldn’t stop him either way.

 

 

 

 

The air was cold and freezing and the gushing wind that came by harshly hit his face－ Johnny liked it. The coldness had never bothered him before and he liked looking at his breath as it turned into visible smoke, it made him numb for some reason and feeling nothing was better than feeling something. Johnny was walking around the campus, slow yet casual, with his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his black joggers. He was at one side of Labyrinth and it was like a ghost town. It was late so there were hardly any students around the perimeter so he took his time. It had been awhile since Johnny found the luxury to do something like that. It was nice, breaking the norm.

 

It was only when he stealthy passed by the school’s dance studio that he stopped on his tracks. He felt a common presence close by. Johnny looked around, tried to search for the owner but he saw none. But he did notice something eventually. The lights of the studio were turned on and it radiated pass its windows and hit the concrete ground. _Was someone still dancing at this time of day?_  

 

Then the glass doors of the building slid open, there stood two lean figures, Johnny was too far away to decipher who. Not until his sensitive wolf nose caught a whiff of a rather familiar scent that danced across the wind. _Delicious,_ he thought. He felt a pleasuring shiver roll down his spine at the sensation that the aroma had caused him. His body turned ablaze and everything felt hot all of a sudden. But then … his eyes widened at the realization; it was Ten! The scent belonged to Ten!

 

And he wasn’t alone－ Ten was with someone by the doorway, someone who Johnny couldn’t identify. And strangely, he couldn’t feel the other’s aura as well.

 

_What the fucking hell?_

 

However, before he could ponder on the idea some more, Ten had bid his goodbyes and left the other male. Johnny was confused on what do to after. Should he follow him?

 

It had been a week since he last saw Ten at the cafeteria. Hansol and Taeyong took it among themselves to make sure they wouldn’t cross paths again for the mean time after they were completely certain about Ten’s status as Johnny’s mate. Johnny thought he would get over it if the distance between him and Ten increased tremendously or that his demons just stayed away－ he hadn’t, his mind and body hadn’t. Johnny might not be sure but his demons behaved otherwise. Ten was his mate for crying out loud! He should not just sit around and do nothing!

 

But Johnny also wanted to keep his sanity intact. The moment he took a step forward, a step closer towards Ten, he felt something, his chest hurt－ but not the painful kind. It originated somewhere in his upper region before it spread to his entire body. It was some kind of a feeling, an emotion that didn’t belonged to him. _It’s Ten’s,_ he thought.Johnny couldn’t clearly say what it was but it felt light and appeared quite bright. Ten was contented－ happy maybe?

 

“Oh fuck it.” So Johnny did that he thought he should－ he ran away and never looked back.

 

But the torment hadn’t ended there, his demons were threatening to come out again and Johnny will never allow it－ not again. They would hurt Ten if he let his guard down so Johnny hurriedly thought of a plan to combat his own monsters as he increased his pace.

 

Somehow, he managed to return back to his own dorm building in one piece. He saw a group of students－ probably seniors－ not far away, also headed to the same direction as he was. By instinct, Johnny composed himself before he approached them quietly like a ghost. Johnny did his thing; he hid himself first, attracted him with his carnal pull and even used his Alpha’s pheromones so that they wouldn’t deny him before he appeared in front of the group.

 

“Play with me,” he said in a husky voice then smirked in triumph as he saw their eyes turned empty and void.

 

If keeping Ten safe meant dragging more people in, then so be it－ everyone else would better be off dead rather than his mate.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Johnny! Johnny!” It was noon and Taeyong had became uncharacteristically hysterical. Johnny hadn’t attended his morning classes again and Taeyong was worried sick. They hadn’t ran after him when Johnny left them at his room the night before since they thought that Johnny needed space to cool his head off before he blew another fuse. But Taeyong hadn’t expected that Johnny would be absent again! “Open the freaking door!”

 

Taeyong kept banging his fist on the Alpha Incubus’ door but still no answer came and his rationality grew thin by the second. _If only I won’t get into trouble then I’m gonna bust this bastard’s door open!_ “For pete’s sake, Hansol, do something!” Taeyong exclaimed as he turned to the Goblin that quietly stood beside him. Unlike Taeyong, Hansol was rather calm and unfazed.

 

Hansol sighed  and snapped his fingers－ he suddenly disappeared into smoke.  The mist easily dissipated after a few seconds. Taeyong patiently waited, but he swore he heard someone curse from the other side. The knob then moved and Hansol’s familiar face greeted Taeyong from the other side of the door as it went ajar.

 

“You are not going to like this.” Hansol had a disapproving frown on his face.

 

Taeyong scowled at the Goblin’s assertion. Hansol took a step back then opened the door widely so that Taeyong could enter. But just as Taeyong passed by Hansol’s huge figure and the Goblin’s broad shoulders weren’t blocking the contents of the area, Taeyong immediately saw what Hansol had been referring to. He could not contain a shout,  “OH MY GOODNE－ WHAT THE HELL?!?!”

 

Taeyong was speechless for a moment. The sight laid before his eyes was disgusting. Johnny’s room was a mess, far from how it was the night before when they were up doing homework, trashed and completely unrecognizable. And in Johnny’s bed laid…. it wasn’t Johnny, not even close. Rather, sprawled on the Alpha Incubus’ messy sheets were four naked bodies; 3 females, 1 male. The ambiance in the room was disastrous and air had a lingering scent of both sweat and sex and Taeyong wasn’t stupid to not know what it signified.

 

What had Johnny done again?

 

 

 

“Everybody get out!” Taeyong barked, he felt his blood boiling in his veins, and he was afraid that he would not be able to control his temper in time. He could murder someone on the spot. His voice was loud enough to wake the other teens up, they fluttered their drowsy eyes and was stunned at the presence of the two most powerful demons in the school that stood in front of them. But instead of moving, they stayed in their places, frozen and afraid.

 

“If all of you aren’t out of this room in ten seconds, I’m gonna kill you.” It was Hansol’s turn to threaten the four. He was getting just as impatient as Taeyong was. “One. Two. Thre－”

 

And just like that, they ran. The dorm room rattled as they tossed and grabbed their clothes on the floor, and closed the door behind them. Taeyong felt like he was bound to get a headache. Confusion was clear as day on the innocent kids' faces, they probably had no clue how they got there in the first place and their unfortunate lack of the clothing.

 

_What did Johnny do to them?_

 

 

Taeyong’s train of thought was cut off when, “Why the hell are you two shouting at－ Wher－ What happened?!?” Johnny exclaimed as he saw his once accompanied bed, now empty. Johnny had just exited the bathroom, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, drips of water fell down his toned chest, his brown hair was still wet as well. He eyed his friends then sighed as he headed straight for his closet to change into some clean clothes. “Great, I was thinking of another round this afternoon too. You ruined it.”

 

“Explain,” Taeyong demanded, patted his left shoe impatiently onto the carpeted floor.

 

Johnny snorted, unimpressed. Taeyong sounded really pissed but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Explain what? You already saw it, what’s left for me to say?”

 

 

 

“Tae, calm down.” Hansol said as he felt the other’s looming aura raging out of control. Taeyong really needed to keep his temper in check; he could have frozen Labyrinth on a whim if he did not calmed down! Sure, Hansol had the same ability but Taeyong’s was more powerful since it had a wider range. Taeyong wasn’t technically controlling weather; dementors suck the life out of anyone－ demons and humans alike. Taeyong could leave his victims null and blank, permanently damaged－ far more worse than freezing to death.

 

“What were you even thinking?!” Taeyong spatted, intended for his other friend. He had enough of Johnny’s selfishness. It was beyond foolish! They could get into trouble if Johnny wasn’t careful and Taeyong preferred his life in Labyrinth to be peaceful, thank you very much. _Taeil is gonna have my head if he finds out about this._ “This is stupid, Johnny.”

 

“I know it is.” Johnny was now properly dressed in his uniform, had sat on the edge of his bed, across the two.

 

“Good.” Taeyong had his arms crossed and eyed Johnny intently. “Now, spill. What happened?”

 

“I saw him last night. When I left. I saw Ten.” Johnny had not beaten the bush that time, he was perfectly honest that it took them by surprise.

 

“You saw him?” Taeyong was rather taken aback. “And then what?”

 

“I almost lost it again. He smelled so nice that I completely forgot who I was. But I couldn’t do it, he looked happy.” Johnny sighed deeply. “I felt it. Ever since that incident in the cafeteria, I couldn't really feel anything coming from him anymore. But last night…..,” he repeatedly shook his head to push the thought aside, “so that’s why I ran away.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I can’t be satisfied anymore, sex isn’t as satisfying as it was before, nothing is! No matter who I fuck, how many times I have sex－ nothing is ever enough if it's not him.”

 

“Johnny, we already told you, you can’t go after Ten,” Taeyong reminded, another deep glower on his face.

 

 “I know! I could feel his emotions too. But my incubus is driving me nuts. It’s getting hungrier by the day and I don’t know what to do about it!”

 

“And your wolf?”

 

Johnny heaved another breath before he continued, “not any better. It wants to claim him.”

 

“This sounds like trouble.” Hansol closed his eyes to gather his senses－ even Hansol looked stressed about Johnny’s dilemma－ before he turned to Taeyong and asked, “what are we supposed to do now?”

 

Taeyong shook his head, not aware of the answer himself. “I’ve been researching on some stuff but I can’t find anything useful. It would take some time before I could manage to dig something up from the archives.”

 

“It has been a week, Tae!” Johnny exclaimed, frustrated and wary. If Taeyong actually looked closer, there were obvious dark circles underneath Johnny’s eyes. “They need him! They need their mate! They want him!”

 

“And you?” Hansol snapped back. “What do you want?”

 

 

 

 

 

A few seconds passed and Johnny still couldn’t come up with an answer. He was contemplating, in deep thought. Then, after all the inner torture, he finally said, “I don’t know what I want anymore. I could never distinguish which is my own thoughts from theirs.”

 

Taeyong sighed－ he pitied Johnny. “Johnny, we know that he’s your mate but you have to be considerate. You did something awful to him, he still might be scared of you even until now.”

 

“I just don’t want him to hate me.” Johnny looked venerable at that moment, his hands tightly clasped together and his head downcast, staring at the floor.

 

“I know you do, so until Taeyong finds a way out of this, you’ll stay away for the mean time. It’s for both your own good,” Hansol said. “You hear me, Johnny?”

 

Johnny didn’t agree but he didn’t protested at the notion as well, he just kept quiet.

 

“But I really don’t think it would be good for Johnny if he stays away from his mate too long,” Taeyong chimed in. He knew for a fact that mates came in a pair; those that were destined together somehow share the same life, same fate. If the two were separated then only the unthinkable could happen. Who knew what horrible misfortunes would to come to the both of them.

 

“What do you suppose we do, then?” Hansol asked, rather serious. Taeyong opened his mouth to add something but the look Hansol spared him made him decide against it and Taeyong shut up instead. Hansol then turned his back on him when he couldn’t utter a reply.

 

Taeyong could only watch silently as Hansol coaxed Johnny. It was seemingly impossible but Hansol was acting strange lately, especially that night in Johnny’s room, right after Johnny left. Taeyong was confused by the Goblin’s actions. As much as he doesn’t want to have ill-thoughts for his friend, he had a hunch that Hansol knew something important and wasn’t telling them anything.

 

_But what? What’s Hansol hiding?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm gonna add some light on the side couples in the next chapters since I know everyone is curious about them as well.
> 
> So could you tell me which out of the 3 are you anticipating to the most? 2tae? Yusol/Hanta? Or Dojae/Jaeyoung? 
> 
> Please comment on it cause I really need opinions. Thank you again!


	12. I'm Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More on Hansol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the love to my beta and yeah, please enjoy everyone.

 

Johnny slammed the door behind him with a bang that bounced off the white-painted walls. Taeyong heaved a sigh  in exasperation when the other was gone and plummeted back to his seat. “I can’t believe that guy.”

 

“Johnny has always been like that.” Hansol said as he flipped the pages to his book continuously, hadn’t looked up to meet the other’s eyes. “Shouldn’t we be used to it by now?”  

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever be,” Taeyong answered before he returned to his own task. With Johnny out of plain sight, their homework wasn’t going to do themselves; might as well get it done and over with so they could call it a night.

 

Hansol shook his head with an amused expression on his face, his right hand busy as he scribbled down important notes. Johnny never listened to them before, why start then?

 

It took a few more minutes before they were finally done－ Math took most of their time. Taeyong groaned in relief as he stretched his tired body. Hansol stared at his wrist watch, it was almost midnight. They needed to go back to their own rooms. Taeyong was fixing his things, neatly arranged them inside his bag when Hansol abruptly shot to his feet; he suddenly remembered something important he had almost forgotten. He took several strides and circled Johnny’s room.

 

“What are you looking for?” Taeyong asked curiously as he stared at the wandering male.

 

“Something.” Hansol then closed his eyes, trialed to calm his mind so he would be able sense things easily. Once his lashes fluttered shut, everything seemed clearer in his head. It didn’t take long before he caught something. He opened his eyes, went to Johnny’s bed side table and immediately yanked the top drawer open. Surprisingly, it was clean. _Where does Johnny keep his condoms?_  

 

There was almost nothing inside－ except for an unusual looking necklace that sat at the bottom most part of the compartment. The strap was a worn up and brown when Hnsol brought it up against the room light to examine it closely.

 

“What’s that?” Taeyong was standing behind Hansol, peeked through his shoulder to observe the thing he held in his hand. “Is that an amulet?”

 

 “It’s Ten’s,” Hansol explained. “He left it the last time he was here. When … y’know..” _Johnny almost raped him._ Hansol could never blurt it out loud but Taeyong looked like he understood it perfectly.

 

_Did Johnny keep it all this time since then?_

 

It looked rather old. Instead of a chain, it had a thick string, the strap was almost torn and the pendant was really unique, quite eye-catching. It was black, the darkest shade. There were writings on the side as well. Words that Hansol could not form and decipher. The scripts appeared like it was written in another language. “Shit!” Hansol cursed out loud when he touched the stone. The very moment his skin came in contact with its surface, Hansol felt like his flesh was on fire. It burned! Caught by surprise of the sudden sharp sensation, he had dropped the necklace and it fell onto the carpeted floor and rolled over.

 

“You okay?” Taeyong asked before he suddenly bent his knees and reached for the necklace by its string. “Clearly it’s meant to chase away demons.”

 

“Damn.” Hansol rubbed his hand in soothing circles to ease away the pain. It was strange.  His hand wasn’t swollen, it wasn’t even red; it looked just fine. But it wasn’t－ it stung. The burning sensation was still there and it lingered for quite some time. “That thing is dangerous.”

 

“Why does Ten have it though?” Taeyong queried, eyeing the unparalleled accessory with profound wonder.

 

“No clue.” _But if the necklace was meant to repel demons then … Ten’s human?_

 

“It looks old. And it seems familiar,” Taeyong continued, genuinely interested. “Like I’ve seen it in textbooks somewhere.”

 

“Really?” Hansol thought the same thing too. It was oddly similar to －  _but why would Ten have such a thing?_

 

Taeyong kept bombarding Hansol with numerous questions about how he knew about the necklace and why he took it but Hansol chose to stay silent instead.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Hansol woke up early the next day and headed to Ten’s dorm, dressed in his school uniform, with  his usual backpack conveniently hanging on his shoulders. If a stranger were to look at him, despite his prominent features, striking height, and intimidating aura, Hansol wouldn’t cross off as Royalty. He looked like an average student, like everyone else－ nothing special.

 

His spontaneous visit to the other dorm had somehow managed to cause an uproar. Students by the lobby and those he passed by were scandalized by his presence in their safe haven. _What was Ji Hansol doing in the freshmen dorm?_  Whispers chattered and Hansol was irritated by the unnecessary noise. _Why is everyone so loud at this time in the morning?_ Judging by how intrigued everyone appeared, it wouldn’t be long until everyone in Labyrinth found out. Hansol wouldn’t be shocked if Taeyong knew where he went to by the way how the news spread around the school.

 

Having had deemed it enough, Hansol gave everyone that dared spare him a second glance a sharp glare, enough to cut and bruise, to let them get the message and they quickly made their way and hadn’t bothered him anymore. _People need to understand their place and mind their own business._

 

As far as his memory served him right, Ten’s room was at the 4th floor. However, he forgot the exact room number. Shit, he should have asked the front desk before he went up the elevator! _Stupid._  During the night of Ten’s incident with Johnny, Hansol managed to locate Ten’s room easily because Johnny  told him before he fled but since Hansol had no one else to rely to－ _I’m sure it’s just around here somewhere_ , Hansol thought. Sure, he couldn’t feel Ten’s aura but he could feel everyone else’s so at least he had a lead on where to start on.

 

There were more than 30 rooms in the floor but after careful observation, Hansol was certain that Ten’s quarters would be in the next corner; the ambiance was familiar somehow. But Hansol had overlooked something crucial because when he made a sudden turn, a small frame bumped straight into his chest. Thankfully, Hansol managed to stay rooted and hadn’t stumbled on his own or else they both would fallen down.  Despite the stature, the unnamed offender was most likely to be male given how hard the impact was when they clashed. “Are you alright?” Hansol asked the stranger safely trapped in his arms. Hansol held the other by the waist so they wouldn’t lose balance hence the position. _He had a slender waist,_ Hansol unconsciously noted. Surprisingly, the guy was also warm, _too warm_.

 

Hansol gradually lowered his head to stare at the other only to be forcefully pushed away. “Let go of me! What you you think you are doing?!”

 

 

 

 

 

The Royal Goblin barely resisted the urge to snort as the other spun himself around until he was away from Hansol, on a defensive stance. “I helped you and this is what I get? Talk about being ungrateful.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

 

 _Oh goodness. Why is he so loud this early in the morning?_ “And I thought that Elves were supposed to be loyal and kind. So in addition to being weak, you also have bad manners. How unfortunate.” Hansol knew he was being rude but oh well, the evident frown on the other’s face was worth it.

 

 

 

It was Yuta.

 

 

 

He was scowling at the Goblin and Hansol found the expression amusing. If looks could kill, Hansol would probably be dead already. _Not that he could really kill me. He’s too weak for that._  

 

The Elf wore the same uniform as Hansol’s but the tie was a different color－ it was leaf green, meant for freshmen while Hansol’s was blood red－ and he wore black converse sneakers rather than regular shoes. So judging from his appearance, Yuta looked like he was heading off to his classes or to get breakfast at the cafeteria. _Why isn’t Ten with him?_  “Hey, can I ask something?”

 

“What are you doing here?” Yuta asked instead of answering, then shook his head multiple times after he realized what he did. “Nevermind, just go away and don’t talk to me.” Yuta was about to take his leave but Hansol held him by the wrist, prevented him from moving.

 

“Where’s Ten?”

 

Taken aback by the sudden hold, Yuta widened his eyes. “I said let go of me! What is it with you?!” Yuta trialed to retrieved his hand but Hansol’s grip was strong.

 

Hansol raised a questioning brow at the struggling male. “I’m asking you, where is Ten?”

 

“What do you want for him anyway?! Don’t tell me you’re doing t－”

 

“Mind your own personal affairs, Elf,” Hansol cut him off before Yuta made another a fuss. “Now tell me, where is Ten?”

 

“How should I know?! Do I look like his care taker to you?!”

 

“Funny, I thought you were.”

 

“Bastard!” Yuta answered through gritted teeth and Hansol almost laughed. Being mad somehow didn’t suit with Yuta’s appearance. Yuta was short and the way he tried to act intimidating wasn’t working at all. He looked more like a puppy rather than a menace.

 

“You’re so easy to rile up, you know that?” Hansol teased which earned another sharp glare from the other demon. “Just how hot headed can a person be? You’re far worse than Taeyong and Johnny combined. And that’s already saying something.”

 

“Shut up! Don’t compare me with them!” Yuta hissed. “And if you’d just let go and leave me alone then I wouldn’t be like this!”

 

Hansol thought it was impossible. It only might have been the second time that he had conversed with the Elf－ and they did not have the best of first impressions－ but Yuta’s character was quite humorous and interesting. Hansol liked it, he could use the laughter and amusement every now and then. “Why would I do that when you look cute when you’re mad?”

 

“Bullshit! You think it’s funny?! Newsflash, it’s not!” Yuta was really pissed. “Let me go or else I’ll scream!”

 

“And who will help you when they know I’m here?” Hansol quirked another brow, one corner of his mouth tugged upward, the clasp on Yuta’s hand tightened tremendously－ it hurt. “You don’t know who I am, or what I am capable of.”

 

But Yuta wasn’t going to back down, not at the slightest. He stared straight right into the Goblin’s eyes－  which was an interesting mixture of hazelnut and chocolate. “Shut the fuck up. You might be somebody but you’re nobody to me.” Of course Yuta knew who Hansol was－ who wouldn’t－ but his ego forbid himself to cower in fear. Hansol could kill him if he wanted, it was better than wounding his own pride. “You. Do. Not. Scare. Me.”

 

 

 

 

 

Although he wasn’t transparent with his reactions, Hansol was definitely impressed. Besides his friends and family, Yuta was the first person to have not shown any sign of dismissal and fright in Hansol’s presence, there wasn’t a hint of it in his bright and glistering orbs. Wasn’t Yuta aware that Hansol could wipe off his entire clan with just one command? Hansol was used to people worshiping the path he walked on, kissed his very feet because they feared his name and capabilities but－ Yuta was different. “My my, aren’t you a brave soul? That’s very cute.” Hansol chuckled, loosened his grip gradually until he finally let go of  Yuta’s wrist.

 

Yuta was fuming by then, insulted by the assertion, invisible red smoke came out his ears. But before Yuta could answer back, a rather faint “Hyung?” came from behind Yuta and both turned.

 

 

 

 

 

“Ten?”

 

 

 

 

 

Ten stood in front of them, also dressed in his uniform and equipped with his bag. “Hyung? What are you doing here?” Ten asked, meant for Hansol, then added, “What were you two doing just now?” meant for Yuta. He was staring at them weirdly, skeptical, glanced back and forth between the two, somewhat accusingly.

 

“Nothing!” Yuta said hurriedly, rather guarded as he took several steps back so he was at a safe distance from the Goblin and was beside Ten.

 

Hansol would have pointed that out to get the other on edge again but with Ten within the proximity, it would have been pointless. “I got something for you.” Hansol said instead as he reached for his bag, took out a small brown paper bag from inside and handed it to Ten.

 

Ten carefully opened the bag then widened his eyes as he saw the contents. “Thank you, hyung!” Ten beamed happily. It was his necklace! Hansol had given it back to him.

 

Though Taeyong had warned him not to take it since Johnny would be furious if he noticed that it was gone, Hansol did not listen. Giving the necklace back was the very reason why he came to see Ten in the first place. “I did what you asked so now, remember our deal.” Hansol was set on wanting the two to avoid each other. He wasn’t keen on the reason why but it seemed like the only solution given Ten and Johnny’s situation. _Even if Ten really is Johnny’s mate._

 

Ten looked confused for a moment with Hansol’s statement before he finally understood what it meant and nodded his head in affirmation, “I will, don’t worry, hyung.” Hansol had done his part, it was Ten’s turn to do his end in the agreement.

 

“Good.” Hansol was relieved. If only Johnny was as less complicated as Ten was then probably they wouldn’t have any problems, Taeyong and Hansol wouldn’t have a hard time dealing with the Alpha Incubus. “Gotta run, I’m have somewhere to be.”

 

“See you, hyung. Thanks again.”

 

“Yeah, see you around,” Hansol said. But it wasn’t directed for Ten.

 

Hansol had his sight fixated on Yuta the entire time and when their eyes met briefly, Hansol winked shamelessly, in sheer effort to get the Elf irritated again. And he wasn’t disappointed, his brash action elicited a vexed grimace from Yuta. Ten could only stare confusingly at them.

Hansol chuckled to himself as he left the two behind to meet up with Taeyong.  _Today won't be so bad after all._  
  
  
  


* * *

 

 

 

“But I really don’t think it would be good for Johnny if he stays away from his mate too long,” Taeyong chimed in. But Hansol dismissed the idea as he continued attending to Johnny, assuring him that things would be fine.

 

Although Hansol knew that Taeyong had a point, that didn’t mean he agreed to his proposition. Hansol never liked the ideology that revolved around the essence of ‘mates’. It was bothersome and stupid. For demons, not everyone had a mate－ it wasn’t common and limited to only a few numbers－ but those who do were considered special. Johnny had one but it was already expected of him. Somehow, Hansol knew he had his own mate as well－ gut feeling. But he could care less about them. He hated being tied down to the thought of being someone else’s property. How cruel was it that he was destined for someone he did not even know of and had no control over? The notion was ridiculous. Vague concepts like fate and celestial bodies should not determine his life for him－ Hansol would never allow it.

 

 

 

After the serious the dialogue in his room, Taeyong had managed to convince Johnny to have lunch with them. Johnny was reluctant, he knew that he was bound to see Ten at the cafeteria, but Taeyong insisted. They could feel it, even if Johnny tried to conceal his aura from them－ Johnny was weak. He needed food－ in more ways than one.

 

They arrived at the cafeteria shortly after. Taeyong had already ordered their food and was promised to be served in a while by the staff. Other students would only watch with envious eyes as mouth watering content were given to their group instead of average daytime garbage catered by the cafeteria that masqueraded as food. There shouldn’t be any special treatment in Labyrinth to observe fairness among the students－ it was in the rules－ but given their families’ social status and the mere fact that Jaehyun’s family ran the school, their gang had their privileges.

 

All four of them－ Johnny, Taeyong, Hansol and Jaehyun－ grew up together and were childhood friends. Jaehyun was the youngest yet the most mischievous of the bunch. Since Jaehyun was a year younger, he had different classes, Jaehyun couldn’t hang out with them as much as he wanted to but Hansol and the others try to not leave the younger out in anything. They tell each other everything, they basically knew what was going through each other's heads.

 

However, Hansol had a difficult time deciphering the reason behind Jaehyun’s actions. The vampire wasn’t with them, he was at the other table－ at Ten’s table to be precise.

 

_What the hell was Jaehyun doing?_

 

He seemed like he was having a grand time, talking to the others carelessly and both Hansol and Taeyong could feel the threatening aura that Johnny released at the sight. It was dangerous.

 

“Jae, what were you doing there?” Taeyong asked when Jaehyun had came to where they were.

 

“I was talking to Doyoung,” he answered then shrugged his shoulders. “And Ten.”

 

Wrong move. Hansol did not know what Jaehyun was trying to gain by provoking Johnny but he really should learn when to shut up.

 

“What did you say?” Johnny asked, close to losing every bit of sanity he had left. And the fact that Ten’s scent lingered on Jaehyun’s clothes wasn’t helping at all. Johnny’s dominant nature had been aggravated.

 

“I’ve already met him,” Jaehyun repeated, with a cheeky smile.

 

And that was it; Johnny finally snapped. His eyes darkened gradually as he harshly grabbed  Jaehyun by the collar of his shirt. Jaehyun jerked and stumbled back when Johnny pulled him forcefully, good thing he regained his footing at an instant. Johnny reeled him in, close to throwing Jaehyun away but Taeyong came in between them before it escalated into an ugly brawl while Hansol held Johnny down. Johnny was pissed as hell. “STAY AWAY FROM MY MATE!” Johnny shouted, loud enough for the masses inside the cafeteria to hear. Everyone within hearing distance had turned their heads to Johnny’s table, all eyes on the group. Even Taeil and Ten were looking at their direction, stunned and speechless.

 

 

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real sht starts right after this. Be ready.
> 
> Leave comments! xoxo


	13. It's You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was exaggerating when I said that shit was going to go down in this new chapter. Lol. But this marks the start of it so... hang on.

   
   
“Hey, Doyoung. What are you up to?”  
   
“Leave me alone.” Doyoung was in the middle of revising his notes for his next class when a certain vampire, who had just arrived, decided to turn his mood sour at the very start of the day. But despite Doyoung’s venomous tone and aloof attitude, the other wouldn’t go away. “What do you want, Jung?”   
   
“You,” Jaehyun answered with a smirk plastered on his face.  
   
Doyoung rolled his eyes in exasperation at the other male that stood across his table before he returned back to his own task. “Fuck off.”  
   
“Chill, I’m not doing anything.” Jaehyun took a nearby chair and dragged it close to Doyoung’s desk then sat there. “Well, _not yet_.”  
   
“Move away, Jung. You’re breathing on my air.”  
   
“But I like being close to you.”  
   
“Get a life.”  
   
“You _are_ my life.”  
   
“What are you blabbering about now?!?” Doyoung had raised his voice out of nowhere when he regarded Jaehyun. The sudden increase of timbre in his tone stunned the room and his classmates turned their heads towards them. Doyoung almost forgot that there were other occupants of the room besides them, he ducked his head to avoid their prying eyes. _So much for being invisible._ But unlike him, Jaehyun didn’t care, he remained steady and unfazed. He was _that_ shameless.  
   
“You really need to calm down, Doyoung.” Jaehyun chuckled freely, showcasing his array of perfectly white teeth before he leaned his body forwards so that he was resting his elbows against Doyoung’s desk.  
   
“Yeah, says the nuisance.”  
   
“You’re mean.”  
   
“And you aren’t?” Doyoung shot back. Goodness, Jaehyun was really irritating!  
   
“Touche.” Jaehyun grinned in amusement, evidently impressed by the other’s reply. “But I’m only mean to other people, _never_ to you,” he emphasized but Doyoung only snorted.  
   
“Yeah right.”  
   
But before Jaehyun could think of another lousy come back, the school bell suddenly rang and all the other students in the room hurriedly went to their seats. And although Jaehyun still wanted to bug Doyoung some more, he was left with no choice but to disperse as well. The teacher arrived shortly and classes commenced.  
 

  
It was another ordinary day for Doyoung, lessons were never difficult, nobody paid him any attention and he barely interacted with anyone－ everything went smoothly. But Jaehyun was more farfetched. Jaehyun’s desk was in front of Doyoung's and the latter couldn’t help but notice the way the vampire slept nonchalantly in the middle of class, in between lectures. And the worst part was that the teachers didn’t seem to mind, brushed it off like they hadn’t seen it and continued with their discussions. No one complained. Being the school chairman’s younger brother seemed like a sweet life and Jaehyun was enjoying it to the fullest. Not one teacher had ever dared cross Jaehyun’s path before if they wanted both their life and job spared. His older brother doted on him a lot and Jaehyun got away with everything－ everyone swarmed far from him because of it.   
   
Doyoung never understood why Jaehyun was keen on annoying him every chance that he got. Of course Doyoung tried avoiding him like the rest but Jaehyun pops out of nowhere, left Doyoung with nowhere else to hide. They might have been classmates since their freshmen year but they were each other’s exact opposite despite being both vampires. Jaehyun was a pure blood, Doyoung wasn’t. He was the lowest of the low, the bottom of the barrel of their kind－ half human half vampire. Doyoung wasn’t exactly human－ he fed on blood like the rest－ but he wasn’t exactly like them as well. He was exceptionally weak compared to average vampires. He was the same as Johnny; they were the first of their kind. Doyoung was the first ever vampire to be born that way, to possess both characteristics instead of just one.

But Johnny was powerful, Doyoung wasn’t, so nobody cared about him. 

   
Other than that, Doyoung wasn’t any more special than the rest. He only got into Labyrinth through a scholarship－ he wasn’t rich like most people in the school. Doyoung’s mom was a vampire while his father was a human. Albeit the difference in race and the consistent breakout of wars during their time, they still loved each other endlessly. They were kind beings. They wanted the best for their son so they allowed him to go to Labyrinth when Doyoung asked them to. It was one of the best schools in the country, Doyoung’s future would be secured.   
   
But life in the academy was hard－ hell. Students in the school lusted over power. Once others found out what he was, he was looked down upon, bullied by his own people. Doyoung’s first year was tough but he held on, he kept on thinking about his parents and that he didn’t want them to worry so he endured all the ministrations and abuse. When he met Taeil coincidentally, everything became brighter. Taeil was kind enough to be his friend and took him in the student council when he had nowhere else to go. Nobody dared touch him while he was under Taeil’s wing－ everyone knew that if they messed with Taeil, they would experience Taeyong’s wrath all together. So his bullies left him alone and went to look for another loser to gang up on.  
 

  
“Jung, what are you doing here? You have your own table.” Morning classes had ended and it was already lunch time but Jaehyun hadn’t left him alone. He took it upon himself to follow Doyoung to the cafeteria until Doyoung reached his usual table with his friends. Jaehyun sat down beside him comfortably, like he had been a part of their small circle from the very beginning.  
   
“What, I like being around you,” Jaehyun answered, without a hint of remorse. “Hi Taeil-hyung.”  
   
Taeil only gave the other a nod and a timid smile as courtesy then shifted his focus on the book he had on his hands. Though the two may not hang out that much, Doyong knew that the angel and Jaehyun’s gang were well acquainted, they had a shared history together. Taeil was the only one who could casually talk to Johnny’s group without shitting themselves in fear. Which was the reason why everyone respected Taeil and he became the student council president unanimously. Not one person－ other than them of course－ knew about their past. Doyoung was curious just like the anyone else but he wouldn’t dare to ask, not even when he was really close to Taeil.  
   
“And besides, I’m here ‘cause I want to know Ten better too,” Jaehyun added which earned a coughing fit from Yuta who almost spill whatever it was he was drinking and a questioning look from Taeil.  
   
“M-me?” Ten, who had been so engrossed with consuming his salad, was caught off guard by the statement when his name was unnecessarily mentioned. He looked very uncomfortable with Jaehyun’s presence and gaze. Doyoung couldn’t blame him though. Jaehyun was really pesky. “Why me?”  
   
“You’re fascinating,” Jaehyun answered simply. Doyoung quirked a puzzled brow at the vampire but the latter hadn’t elaborated on his claim and continued on gawking at Ten. Jaehyun had somehow managed to grow an interest on Ten and Doyoung was confused as to the reason why.  
   
Jaehyun stayed with them for a few moments more, pestering them endlessly before he went back to his own group of friends on the other side of the cafeteria.  
   
“What was all that about?” Yuta asked when Jaehyun collected his belongings and was out of earshot. “Since when were you two so close to each other?”

  
Jaehyun had always been a strange entity but the more Doyoung got to know him, the more he got bemused. “I really have no clue as well,” Doyoung answered dismissively and Yuta took it as that, their other two friends hadn’t added anything as well. They continued on with their lunch peacefully, Yuta teasingly reached to steal his food away, until－  
   
   
   
   
   
“STAY AWAY FROM MY MATE!” a blasting voice from across the cafeteria shouted, loud enough for everyone within the proximity to hear. By reflex, their table’s dwellers turned about, trialed to search for the source until their eyes landed on Johnny grabbing Jaehyun harshly by the collar of his uniform. “STAY AWAY FROM TEN!”  
   
 

  
   
   
What?

  
Doyoung was frozen solid when he heard Johnny’s yell and the obvious meaning behind his words. Did Doyoung really heard it right or were his ears playing tricks on him again? _Does this mean…_

  
Everyone else could only watch in silence at the group who had gathered the crowd’s attention effortlessly. Taeyong had shot to his feet and had a hard time separating the two. They were about to slit each other’s throat if it weren’t for their other two friends stopping them. Amidst the mess, it was very notable how Jaehyun could stand his ground against Johnny Seo. Jaehyun might be the weakest in their gang but he was a force to be reckoned with. He wasn’t a _Jung_ for nothing.   
   
The two hadn’t ceased their intense brawl after a few heated remarks and it was only when Hansol intervened that the vampire and Alpha Incubus actually stopped their petty banter. The Royal Goblin grabbed the two by their jackets with much difficulty, looked at Taeyong, then disappeared into thin air, escaping the scene that they had created on their own.  
   
 _What just happened?_  
   
   
 

  
   
   
It took a few moments before Doyoung had finally managed to digest the unforeseen turn of events.

  
“I don’t know!” The sound of Ten’s confused voice beside him had managed to reel him back into reality. Ten and Taeil were arguing, the Angel had uncharacteristically raised his voice and given their situation, it was uncalled for. Yuta had came in between but to no avail.  
   
“Hyung, calm down,” Doyoung chimed in, seeing how ill-fitting Ten looked under Taeil’s menacing facial expression.  
   
“Doyoung, get him out of here,” Taeil ordered yet in a hushed voice, referring to Ten most likely. “Take him to the council room, lock the door and windows shut. Don’t come out until I tell you to.”  
   
But Doyoung was bewildered, “Hyung, wh－” then it doomed on him. He sightly turned his head and his predictions were valid. Everyone in the cafeteria were indeed looking at them, their penetrating eyes fixated on Ten especially.  
   
“Just do it, okay?” Taeil added, it wasn’t as forced as it was earlier. It was more on urgency and worry.   
   
Doyoung nodded his head without further adieu and followed Taeil’s requests, hurriedly led Ten out of the area before they were followed, with Yuta trailing them closely behind. 

  
   
They needed to get Ten away.  
  


* * *

  
   
   
   
“What the fuck was that?!” Yuta exclaimed as he stealthily made his way to the nearby windowsill, to steal a peek outside, to check if the coasts were clear.  
   
“Calm down, Yuta! Geez, the situation is bad enough as it is without you shouting like that!” Doyoung plummeted down on the chair near his own desk and let out a sigh he didn’t know he had been holding in. He ran a wary hand over his face and sucked a big breath to calm his senses and nerves that had just gone on haywire.  
   
“What did Johnny mean by Ten being his mate? Was he speaking the truth?” Yuta kept asking numerous questions and Doyoung was frustrated because he did not know how to answer any them. Everything was so messed up.  
   
Doyoung turned and stared at the sleeping figure at the couch. The moment they entered the Student Council room, Ten had fainted; good thing Yuta was quick to catch him before he actually fell, hit his head and got hurt. It might have been Taeil's doing, Doyoung thought. He had done something but Doyoung knew that it was mostly to calm Ten down. After the fiasco at the cafeteria, Ten appeared distraught and confused. He looked afraid. Taeil did the right thing, Ten didn’t need to go through all the suffering, it was best if he slept right through it. Ten looked peaceful with his eyes closed, Doyoung believed. Then he frowned when he remembered what had happened awhile ago.   
   
“I don’t know, Yuta. I really don’t know,” Doyoung paused. How can someone as innocent and harmless as Ten be the mate of one of the most powerful yet heartless demons?   _Is he really Johnny Seo’s mate?_ “But I have a bad feeling about this.”  
  


 


	14. The Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DRAMA!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm telling you guys, from here on out, please be vigilant with what is happening in the story 'cause I'm going to drop a few hints here and there. I'll be subtle with revealing a few stuff so you have to discover them on your own. Lol.
> 
> And by the way, I know the story is progressing slowly but it's intentional. I hate rushing things and I really want to build up everything first before we get to the actual good stuff. But rest assured, we will get there. Just trust me, okay? orz
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy! :)

“STAY AWAY FROM MY MATE!” a blasting voice from across the cafeteria shouted, loud enough for everyone within the proximity to hear. By reflex, their table’s dwellers turned about, trialed to search for the source of the thunderous sound until their eyes landed on Johnny grabbing Jaehyun harshly by the collar of his uniform. “STAY AWAY FROM TEN!”

 

Taeil almost couldn’t believe his ears when the spoken words from across the cafeteria reached their table. It didn’t take long for Taeil to deduce what Johnny had meant with his outburst. Was it some kind of sick joke? Was fate playing with them? Taeil could only watch in masked agitation as Hansol and Taeyong struggle to keep Johnny away from Jaehyun before he actually killed the vampire in open air with his bare hands. Johnny Seo had always been an exhibitionist after all.

 

“Ten, what was that about?” Taeil finally asked when the culprits of the commotion disappeared, leaving behind the mess that they had created. _Cowards._

 

“I-I..” Ten looked muddled, unable to reply properly, but Taeil was persistent. If possible, he wanted to milk Ten of answers to satiate his curiosity, regardless of the fact that Ten looked clueless and lost with what was happening.

 

“Ten, what did Johnny mean by it?” Taeil asked again as he turned to Ten, he was getting impatient, so unlike him. “Ten, answer me,” he demanded but his tone remained in its usual volume as to not scare the younger away. It was best not to create another scandalous scene for the other students to feast upon given their predicament.

 

“I don’t know!” Ten exclaimed in distress at the continuous surge of queries. “I don’t－”

 

Yuta had came in between them after sensing Ten’s strain in their argument but to no avail. Taeil hadn’t even heard what Yuta said. “Hyung, calm down,” Doyoung chimed in. It was only then did Taeil notice the palpable hint of confusion and doubt in Ten’s eyes, and it made him realize that Ten was just as puzzled as they were. _He knew nothing._

 

Chatter then spread like wildfire across the air and Taeil was alarmed when a few words caught his ear. _Shit._  “Doyoung, get him out of here,” Taeil ordered yet in a hushed voice, eyes jerked towards the frozen teen. “Take him to the council room, lock the door and windows shut. Don’t come out until I tell you to.”

 

Doyoung was baffled and reluctant. _Why would Taeil ask for such a thing?_ But after noticing the looks everyone else in the cafeteria spared their group, Doyoung agreed in no time. Doyoung wasn’t dense not to know what those sharp glares signify.

 

“Just do it, okay?” Taeil added in urgency. Doyoung finally understood his sentiments and hastily took Ten by the hand and led him away the cafeteria. They disappeared like a blur and somehow, Taeil was relieved. Though he was physically lagging compared to his kind, Doyoung was still fast.

 

“Yuta, follow them,” Taeil said as he turned to Yuta. Taeil knew that Yuta could catch up with the other two in no time. Albeit he had just known the Japanese male for only a few weeks, Taeil was certain to an extent that he could rely on Yuta with protecting their other friends, just like how he could trust Doyoung with his very life. Elfs were known for their profound sense of loyalty and Taeil knew where Yuta’s loyalty was at. “Make sure that Ten is safe, Doyoung too.”

 

“Hyung, what will you do?” Yuta looked genuinely concerned as the older prompted to leave but was halted. Taeil offered the younger a small smile, patted his head gently. He appreciated Yuta for fussing over him since it was rare that someone actually cared about him. Taeil’s palm was warm and the warmth alone was able to sooth Yuta. Taeil’s very existence lulled Yuta into agreeing to his requests. That was his specialty; calming people.

 

“I have to talk to someone,” Taeil said as he motioned the other to go on with his task. “Take care of each other, I’ll come to you when I’m done.”

 

“But hyung－”

 

“I’ll be fine, trust me,” Taeil promised.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Taeyong had just got back from Johnny’s room and he felt extremely exhausted, physically and mentally fatigued, and he wanted nothing more than to drop onto his bed and sleep the weariness away. The day hadn’t passed and yet his friends had somehow managed to cause serious trouble yet again. After the commotion that erupted in the cafeteria, courtesy of his friends’ stupidity, Hansol had took them away from the scene before things turned hideous. They appeared in the Alpha Icubus’ familiar dorm room, at the living area more specifically. Taeyong was thankful that Hansol reacted fast and had salvaged the situation before it turned into another disaster. _At least some of us were thinking straight instead of these two idiots!_

 

Hansol had thrown Jaehyun to the side and Taeyong held Johnny down by his arms before he beat their other friend into a pulp. Johnny was hot headed, true, but Jaehyun was even more foolish for provoking the obviously stronger male. Taeyong was disappointed at the both of them. _How could they be so stupid!?!_

As he was in the middle of his usual scoldings, Taeyong suddenly felt something, a distress call, maybe. He made his way back to his dorm room, entrusting Hansol to watch over the two boys for him, promised that he would return. “Taeil…..” Taeyong whispered as he opened the door of his room and was greeted with a familiar face.

 

But the older male wasn’t amused, not at the slightest. Taeil was standing in the middle of the living area, he had his arms crossed and a frown plastered on his face. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” he said, voice stern and somewhat distrusting.

 

Taeyong wasn’t shocked, he already saw it coming. He went inside the room and locked the door behind him for extra measure, just to be sure that they wouldn’t be eavesdropped on. “I know.”

 

“I can’t believe you guys did this. This is stupid, Taeyong.” Taeil wasted no time. He sounded really pissed.

 

“I know.” Taeyong repeated. He knew very well how messed up their situation would be after what happened. “Want something to drink first?” Taeyong offered casually, wanting to ease the tension in the air between him and the angel. He could make him some tea, Taeyong knew that Taeil liked tea. “To calm your nerves?”

 

“No,” Taeil declined bluntly. “I don’t want anything. And stop stalling.”

 

 _It was worth the shot_ , Taeyong thought. But if Taeyong pondered on it, there was absolutely no point in fooling Taeil, that would never happen. Taeil would never let his guard down, not even to him. Taeyong heaved a deep breath after, a silent proclamation of defeat. He neared Taeil, stood in front of the angel, a meter away and said, “Okay, fire away. Ask me what you want to know.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Taeyong? What were you trying to prove?” Taeil looked crossed and irritated but Taeyong hadn’t missed that glint of disappointment that shone on the Angel’s usual dull eyes. Taeyong was guilty. He and Taeil told each other almost everything. Ever since they first met when they were younger, there had been no secrets between them. So if that was the case … why hadn’t Taeyong told him about Ten and Johnny? It was hurtful. It was like as if Taeyong was betraying him, hadn’t trusted him enough to enclose such crucial information. “Were you waiting for the entire thing to blow up like it did?”

 

“It wasn’t my secret to tell, Taeil,” Taeyong answered with a frown. “And we didn’t want this to happen, not even Johnny.”

 

“So, is it true then?” Taeil continued to pry, his curiosity got the best of him. “Is Ten really Johnny’s mate?”

 

“We aren’t sure but－”

 

“You guys think he is,” Taeil finished his statement for him, “that Ten is his mate.”

 

Taeyong ran through series of phrases and words inside his head, thought of what to say to make the explanation less complicated than it already was so Taeil wouldn’t misinterpret anything but in the end settled with, “Johnny could feel his emotions.”

 

Taeil was apparently stunned at the proposition, mind blown, his eyes grew wide and his mouth was slightly agape. He even uncharacteristically cursed under his breath.

 

“A few days ago, before the possibility of them being mates even came to the picture, something happened,” Taeyong started. He took another breath then continued, “Johnny almost raped Ten.”

 

“WHAT?!?!” If Taeil was mad at him earlier, the angel was now fuming in both daze and rage. “Why haven’t you told me about this?! Ten’s my friend!”

 

“Why, did Ten tell you?” Taeyong shot back. “About what happened to him and Johnny that day?”

 

Taeil opened his mouth but his voice faltered－ he couldn’t come up with a proper comeback－ and ended with, “h-he didn’t.”

 

“That’s why I didn’t tell you, Taeil. Even Ten was hiding it,” Taeyong said. “It was their own business, not ours.”

 

“Why did Johnny do it then? Why did it had to be Ten?” Taeil was upset, Taeyong knew he was. Taeil wasn’t the type to engage in contact with other people easily but he had always been protective of his small circle of friends despite the limited time they’ve been with each other. “Why did he hurt Ten?”

 

“Well, that’s just it…” Taeyong trailed off.  “Do you remember that day when we fought at the hallway? When Yunho-hyung called you to the office? When Ten was there? And the rest of my friends as well?”

 

Taeil tried acting indifferent and clueless but Taeyong was certain that the Angel could remember it, bits and pieces of the event. It was the day that Taeil’s parents suddenly called and knowing that their son wouldn’t talk to them no matter how hard they tried, they did the most shallowest thing possible, they called Yunho instead, the school chairman. Taeil’s family was well acquainted with the school board so Yunho had to do it out of courtesy and respect for the Moon’s, without paying mind to what Taeil would feel and asked for Taeil to come to his office. Taeyong was confused why Taeil had left in the middle of class that day, he found out eventually from Jaehyun and rushed to the chairman’s office to accompany Taeil. It was out of good will and pure intentions but Taeyong came so suddenly, without the angel’s consent－ though Yunho didn’t seem to mind－ and Taeil got into a bad mood when the dementor heard what he and his parents talked about over the phone.

 

“I believe that was the first time Johnny came in close contact with Ten. His incubus was charmed and he brought Ten to his apartment that night and they … did things, stuff happened between them.” Taeyong could see the way Taeil’s jaws tensed up at the revelation. “And no, Johnny didn’t go all the way. Somehow he still had the sanity left in him to not do it when Hansol came just in time before things got out of hand and saved Ten－ but that’s not the worst part,” Taeyong continued, there was no use in beating the bush anymore, he had to tell Taeil. “During that time, Johnny lost control.”

 

“He－” Taeil was rendered speechless.

 

“His demons were rampaging in Ten’s presence,” Taeyong explained.  “His alpha claimed Ten and his incubus allowed it which should have been impossible given his nature. But if what we had hypothesize earlier was true then Ten is most likely to be Johnny’s mate, for _both_ his demons,” he emphasized.

 

“How sure are you about this?” the other male asked. “About this being completely true?” Taeyong honestly thought Taeil would contradict his words in more ways than one but the angel didn’t, he was actually digesting the significant content quite well.

 

“Not so. I’ve been digging up whatever I can from the books in the library but they weren’t very helpful. I need more time.”

 

“So this is why you’re always late when you come back?” Taeil asked knowingly and Taeyong felt more guilty but brushed it off quickly. “Still no lead?”

 

“None.” Taeyong had tried his best but it was still fruitless. Johnny’s condition was definitely uncommon and not many writings had much information about it since his nature was already bizarre as if was － Taeyong needed some kind of aid. He couldn’t do it by himself.

 

“I’ll help you,” Taeil proposed. “I’ll try to search for answers as well, to find out if Ten really is Johnny’s mate.”

 

“And if he is?” Taeyong asked, but in the back of his mind he already knew the answer to his own question. The only solution was already obvious. “What should we do then?”

 

“We have to keep an eye out for Ten,” Taeil retorted, with held conviction and certainty. “The scene Johnny just did in the cafeteria would cost Ten his life. You know that, right?”

 

Taeyong nodded. He knew what the consequences and stakes were and realized how stupid Johnny really was for putting his own mate in a tight spot. Midst his powerful and influential family ancestry, unreachable social heights, and seemingly carefree and perfect life, Johnny was undeniably hated. All of them were, but Johnny’s was the worst. There were a good number of people who would be overjoyed and do almost anything just to see Johnny suffer and pained. And since Johnny had unintentionally yet incautiously proclaimed that he had a mate in a crowded lunch room, where everyone would hear and his closeted enemies lingered, it made the ordeal a lot easier.

 

“And if worse comes to worst, you have to take Ten under your wing, you and the other guys. Protect him. He’s bound to get hurt if you don’t,” Taeil added, looking just as troubled as Taeyong was. Mates had a unique connection that only the both of them share; they were linked. Not just by emotions but by a whole lot more of complex stuff. And if Ten got hurt, so would Johnny. “Ten’s special, we have to watch over him.”

 

“I’ll talk to the others once those two hot headed lads had finally calmed down,” Taeyong said. However, just thinking about his other problematic friends made Taeyong’s temples ache.

 

“Where are they anyway?”

 

“At Johnny’s,” Taeyong answered. “I left them there with Hansol, I hope he did something though. Those two were still lashing on each other before I left.”

 

“You should have stayed there with them if that was the case,” Taeil reckoned. “Use your powers to calm them down.”

 

“But I felt that you were looking for me,” Taeyong said. “I couldn’t let you wait now, could I?” Taeyong smirked, maybe too greasily for his liking but the statement still came out suave to his ears. “And besides, Hansol could take care of them on his own.”

 

Taeil wasn’t impressed at all, his face remained detached. “Come here,” he suddenly motioned and Taeyong was confused, tilted his head to the side in question. The lack of response made Taeil pull Taeyong forward. Although they share the same height, it was a good thing that Taeyong hadn’t stumbled or else he and the angel would have fallen down together. Taeil atypically drew him in when he grasped onto the dementor’s school necktie. “What are you, a kid? It’s rumpled.” Taeyong looked down and couldn’t help a chuckle that erupted pass his lips. Taeil was right, his tie was a mess, loose and disarrayed. He hadn’t noticed earlier since he had been busy flapping about his friends. Taeyong attempted to fix it on his own but Taeil gently swatted his hand away and did it for him, “Let me,” Taeil said.

 

It was nice, Taeyong thought. He smiled while watching the angel zoom out as he was engrossed on straightening Taeyong’s tie. It was oddly domestic but Taeyong didn’t complain. “I’m sorry for not telling you,” he suddenly said softly, a whisper meant for only the other to hear. He couldn’t blame Taeil if he was disappointment in him but Taeyong wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t because he didn’t trust Taeil. Taeyong would never think of that.  “I didn’t mean to do it, I just－”

 

“It’s alright. I understand,” Taeil had cut him off.  “You were doing it for your friends. I get it.” Taeil still had that invisible scowl in his face, his forehead creased in hidden annoyance but Taeyong was certain that Taeil was telling the truth－ he just knew. “Just promise me you’ll never hide anything from me ever again, okay?”

 

Taeil looked at him, staring straight into the dementor’s dark orbs without any hesitation and for the first time that day, Taeyong’s face broke into a genuine smile at the other’s endearing request. “I won’t,” Taeyong said. “I promise.”

 

Taeil was pleased at the answer and Taeyong was somewhat relieved. Taeil shortly returned his attention back to his task and kept fuddling with Taeyong’s tie until it was neat again. Taeyong allowed the other to continue with his ministrations because honestly, he liked it, especially when Taeil was close; the angel was warm and Taeyong loved his warmth.

 

Taeil was the only one who could withstand being in close contact with Taeyong without feeling anything. Johnny and rest of his friends were strong so they could fight off Taeyong’s unruly dark looming aura but they were still overwhelmed in certain situations, wherein as Taeil felt absolutely nothing. Dementors fed off from all the positive energy that a person－ demon or human－ emit, extracted all that energy out from their very being, leaving them empty and void, trapped in an endless abyss of nothingness. But… Taeil was an angel. And angels were full of life. For short, Taeil was his kryptonite.  

 

“There, it looks better now,” Taeil suddenly announced, disrupting Taeyong’s usual train of thought. Apparently, his tie was fixed and Taeil was satisfied at his accomplishment. He had took a step back, increasing the distance between them and Taeyong wanted nothing more than to pull Taeil close again but his plans were interrupted when Taeil’s phone suddenly went off.

 

“Taeil speaking,” Taeil said across the other line when he retrieved the cellular device and answered the call. “What?! Are you alright?!” Taeil seemed distress again and Taeyong didn’t like the tone the angel was using－ it only meant trouble. “Okay, okay. We’ll be right over. Hang in there.”

 

“What happened?” Taeyong asked after Taeil had hid his phone back into his pants. He could feel how queasy the other was. “Is everything alright?”

 

“After you guys left earlier, I asked Yuta and Doyoung to watch over Ten at the council room since it was safe there,” Taeil explained briefly and Taeyong nodded his head, urging him to continue. The dementor was aware how well protected the student council room was. It was charmed and under Taeil’s control. It repelled unwanted guests and no one could get in without Taeil’s permission. Since his abilities were limited, the angel wasn’t capable of doing such remarkable sorcery; the charm was a gift from the chairman. Yunho had took it upon himself to secure the area when he found out how much Doyoung－ the kid Taeil was always with－was being bullied around by other students, it was especially made to protect him. Why Yunho did it for that half vampire, Taeyong never found out. “But someone sneaked inside just now. They managed to break past the defenses. Both Yuta and Doyoung were unharmed but－”

 

“What?” Taeyong really didn’t like where the conversation was going.

 

“They took Ten,” Taeil finished and Taeyong heard himself hissing out loud. “Ten’s gone.”

 

_Shit! Johnny is not gonna like this!_


	15. Runner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since my sem is starting again and I have 5 Math major subjs (I'm dying) the update will be kinda slow but I'll try by best to do it weekly or so. Thanks for sticking by!  
> Much love to my beta! <3

“So, you two finally had enough?” Hansol asked severely with crossed arms, staring at his other friends who were seated on Johnny’s own bed, a good distance away from each other. Hansol had drawn an invisible line between them prior so they wouldn’t kill each other the closer they got.

 

Johnny didn’t answer, he still had a scowl on his face, visibly peeved. Unlike him, Jaehyun was more composed and collected. He was staring at Johnny from the corner of his eyes, waiting for him to say something－ anything.

 

“Johnny,” Hansol warned for the ninth time already. It was never in Hansol’s nature to be meddlesome when it came to other people’s business but his friends had taken things to a whole new level of hypocrisy, even went close to igniting an all out fight in a public location with innocent bystanders observing them with curious and prying eyes. Jaehyun didn’t blame Hansol if he had finally snapped. Taeyong would have done the same thing－ probably even worse than his usual scoldings－ but the dementor was nowhere to be found, there were only the three of them in the room at the moment. _He probably went to Taeil-hyung again,_ Jaehyun decided.

 

Johnny turned to glare at the Royal Goblin, disliking the tone he had used, but Hansol wasn’t fazed. Seeing as though his attempts of trying to act intimidating hadn’t worked, Johnny uncharacteristically gave up. “Fine.” Although Johnny was more than willing to punch Hansol straight in the face, he pushed those thoughts at the back of his head and slightly turned his body to Jaehyun’s direction. “I’m sorry Jae, I didn’t mean to lash out on you like I did.”

 

The apology didn’t sound as genuine as Jaehyun hoped it would but what did they expect? Johnny wasn’t good at stuff like that. “No, hyung. It was my fault for provoking you in the first place.” Jaehyun, however, looked really guilty and remorseful for what he had done. “I’m sorry.” At some point, he knew it was stupid of him, knowing that Ten was Johnny’s mate. Definitely a wrong move to make. What was he even thinking?

 

Johnny gave him a simple nod as an answer and that was more than enough to indicate that they were alright and that Jaehyun was pardoned, no more ill-feelings. Despite their obvious difference in strength and social status, they were still childhood friends; they knew each other better than anyone would.

 

Their only spectator seemed pleased at the turn of events. “Good. Now hug,” Hansol ordered.

 

“What?” At the sudden request, Johnny stared incredibly at Hansol. “What are you playing at, Hansol?”

 

“You can’t be serious, hyung,” Jaehyun whined, even stomping his foot down on the carpeted floor of Johnny’s room. The bid was unreasonable and Jaehyun was aware that Hansol knew that much.

 

“I think I am?” Hansol raised a brow at them, a challenging look on his face.

 

Jaehyun groaned in annoyance. It was beyond torture. They hated being intimate with each other and Jaehyun knew he had to make the first move since Johnny would never initiate something as vague as a hug. How could Hansol make him suffer like that? But of course, his ego and pride would never allow him to back down to anything so he complied, though definitely against his will. Jaehyun turned to his side and was quick to wrap the Alpha Incubus in his arms but also hasty in letting him go. The possibility of being involved in a fight with Johnny sounded more appealing than hugging him.

 

“See? It wasn’t that bad, right?” Hansol said, delight and contentment rich in his voice. The Goblin was overjoyed seeing his own friends struggle－ it was worth it. “Taeyong would be proud of you both.”

 

“Fuck you.” Johnny shot him a sharp taunting glare but Hansol only smirked back in amusement; he clearly liked messing with his friends, unaware of the looming danger that was yet to come.

 

Jaehyun’s phone suddenly went off, cutting short whatever conversation they were having. After one look at the screen to see who it was from when he retrieved the device from his pants, Jaehyun answered it almost too fast for his own liking. _He never calls me first._ But before he would even manage a suave greeting, a rather frantic and struggling voice answered him from the other line. Jaehyun frowned in confusion. “Doyoung, calm down for a second. Breathe,” Jaehyun said. “Are you okay?”

 

The reply he received was hurried and unintelligible, and Jaehyun had a hard time deciphering the other’s words. “Now, tell me what happened. Be clear this time.” A few words were enough to render Jaehyun clueless and his lips tugged down into a deep frown at what Doyoung had just said. Johnny and Hansol were looking at Jaehyun, sensing his muddiness. “You already called Taeil-hyung? Okay, I’ll be right there. Just calm down, okay?”

 

“What’s wrong, Jae?” Hansol asked after the call ended and Jaehyun hid the cellular device. Jaehyun appeared giddy, a bit agitated and it was bugging them as well.

 

“Something happened. We need to hurry now.” Jaehyun wasted no time and jumped to his feet, beckoned his friends to do the same thing. “Let’s go to the student council room.”

 

But the concise assertion wasn’t able to ease the two’s confusion at the slightest. “Jaehyun, be specific.” Johnny said. “We don’t get what you mean.”

 

Then Jaehyun regarded the two, an urgent expression perceptible on his facial features and Hansol knew that something was wrong. “Something terrible happened to Ten.”

 

“What?” It was Hansol’s turn to ask. The mention of Ten’s name had put them on edge, most especially Johnny who looked genuinely worried.

 

Jaehyun answered fast. Time was of the essence, they couldn’t afford to even waste just a single minute. They needed to go. “Hyung, Ten was kidnapped.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just because of one unforeseen phone call, everything had turned chaotic and it was earth shattering. When Jaehyun briefly explained what Doyoung had told him over the phone, not a single detail omitted or overlooked, Johnny was blistering and dashed out of his dorm room. Johnny raced towards the council room like a mad man, Hansol and Jaehyun could do nothing more but follow him closely from behind, ensuring that he wouldn’t do anything reckless again. When they arrived at the area, to their dismay, Ten was already gone. Johnny went wild and threw a fit. Unlike the previous times before, Hansol had a difficult time holding him down. Taeyong, who arrived much later with Taeil, had to intervene to calm Johnny down with the help of his abilities, took some of his energy to keep him in place so he wouldn’t do something stupid to harm himself or anybody else. Johnny hated it when his friends used their powers on him but drastic situations calls for drastic measures. Hansol pitied him but it had to be done.

 

Not even he could envision what Johnny would do if he caught whoever took his mate away. But Johnny wasn’t the only one who was distressed. Jaehyun was at a corner with Doyoung, talking to him. The half vampire had thrown a tantrum somewhere in between Jaehyun asking him to clearly illustrate what had happened and explain how a heavily charmed quarters was penetrated without them noticing before it was too late.

 

“Are you saying it’s my fault, Jung?!” Doyoung exclaimed in disbelief.

 

“I’m not! I’m just stating that it was impossible if－” their argument continued on just like that.

 

And Taeil wasn’t any better. Given his good nature, the angel was blaming himself for the incident. “If only I hadn’t gotten myself distracted then the defenses wouldn’t be weak and nobody could have gotten in,” Taeil said, stressed and feeling at fault. But Taeyong wouldn’t allow the angel to beat himself just because of something that was beyond their control. The dementor had been coaxing the other for awhile, assured him repeatedly that he did nothing wrong.

 

Hansol shifted his eyes back and forth at the two pairs and at Johnny who was sulking by the window, collecting every bit of rationality he had left as to not go on a rampage like he had initially conceived. Then shortly, his gaze unconsciously landed on a certain figure at the sofa and it had managed to catch the Goblin’s undivided attention.

 

“You okay?” Hansol asked immediately as he came near the hunching body .

 

“Why do you care?” Yuta shot back as he looked up and spared the Goblin a pointed glare. His head was hurting and so did everywhere else. He wanted to be alone, he didn’t need any company of sorts.

 

“I don’t,” Hansol answered nonchalantly. As much as he wanted to irk Yuta and earn those irritated faces he had grown to like on the Elf, it wasn’t the right time and place. Hansol decided to be considerate for once. “I’m just asking if you’re hurt or not.”

 

Seeing as though Hansol was staring strangely at Yuta’s wrists, Yuta looked down at his own arms and frowned at the numerous scrapes across his skin. “I’m fine,” he assured but it sounded less convincing as a sudden surge of pain shot up and he shuddered involuntarily. “Doyoung got more deep wounds than I did.”

 

But Hansol thought otherwise. Yuta was wounded, he had a clean cloth over his forearms to stop his cuts from bleeding. They seem just as bad as Doyoung’s earlier－ probably worse－ before Taeil healed the half vampire up completely. Though it used up a lot of his stamina and energy, the Angel had the ability to mend wounds and injuries.

 

“This is all my fault,” Yuta said to no one in particular, Hansol was just there by coincidence. “I deserve it. Taeil-hyung told me to protect them but I couldn’t even do it.” His voice faltered as he talked, it was difficult to speak. “W-why am I so weak?”

 

“You aren’t,” Hansol said.

 

“What?”

 

“You aren’t weak,” he repeated. “You did the best that you could. If you didn’t, both you and Doyoung would have gotten more badly injured than this.” Hansol pulled a face as he noticed red and angry marks ghosting Yuta’s flawless flesh. Yuta had taken off his school jacket so the bruises were prominent. If that were the case, their enemy seemed tough and the Elf had really put on a fight just to protect his friends. “It’s not your fault.”

 

Yuta was left speechless at the statement, he hadn’t expected such words to come from Ji Hansol of all people. It made him slightly better and less guilty.

 

But before he could say anything back－ “Yuta, let me.” Taeil had come in between them, wanting to treat Yuta, to lessen his agony. Yuta looked up at Hansol but the Goblin said nothing and took a step back.. Hansol decided to give the two some space, to talk. _They seem like they need it._

 

“Who do you think it is?” Hansol asked Taeyong when he stood beside the dementor. Taeyong had been circling around the room for a while, pacing back and forth to find some clues that could lead them to their culprit. Except for the two slightly injured demons, there was nothing; the area was spotless and not a single thing or furniture was disarrayed. It was nerve wrecking. To break into a room which was protected by both Yunho’s charm and Taeil, the suspect had to be strong to do such a thing.

 

“Judging from the marks and scratches they had left on both Yuta and Doyoung’s forearms, it’s Wolves,” Taeyong said. “Alphas, to be precise. Their scent is still here.”

 

“Could it be－” Jaehyun interjected from the other side of the room, joining in the conversation.

 

“It’s Ong,” Hansol finished. He had his own suspicions earlier and with Taeyong’s recent explanation, they were proven to be valid. “No doubt about it.”

 

Taeyong nodded in affirmation and Jaehyun was evidently troubled.

 

Now that they had identified their perpetrator, it started to make sense, the puzzle slowly pieced itself together. But it was still strange, Hansol thought. The Goblin knew who Seongwoo was, they’ve met in many social gatherings before since the Ong’s were highly respected in the demon community, an elite. Ong Seongwoo was an Alpha, the head Alpha of his own clan, he had inherited the position at a young age since his father passed away. He was also a Senior at Labyrinth and he was known to dislike Johnny. Their respective packs were rivals in territory within Seoul; the Seo’s ruled the central part while the Ong’s land ranged to the northern side. But from Hansol’s first impression on him, Hansol was certain to an extent that the head Alpha wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave his own scent behind knowing that he had took Johnny’s mate away, especially that Ong was well aware of what the other Alpha was capable of. Seongwoo knew that Johnny was going to hunt him down till the ends of the earth if that happened. But why did he? It didn’t add up. _They are planning something,_ Hansol decided.

 

Johnny’s ears perked at the mention of the familiar name and he scowled, even baring his sharp canine, a growl erupted from the depths of his throat. “Bastards.”

 

They could sense Johnny’s rage again, he was never subtle with concealing his anger. Taeyong took several strides towards the Alpha Incubus but,“Johnny, don’t－JOHNNY!”Johnny had fled the scene before they could even stop him. He busted the door open and ran as fast as he could, without looking back at all. Taeyong groaned as he saw the door slammed close, Johnny out of plain sight. “That idiot. He never listens! He’s gonna get himself killed.”

 

“When does he ever listen to you, hyung?” Jaehyun asked teasingly then shrugged his shoulders. “Johnny-hyung never listens to anybody.”

 

Taeyong hissed under his breath and he hurriedly turned to Hansol, their eyes met and both nodded their heads in unison, as if they had read the other’s thoughts. They regarded Jaehyun and the younger already knew what they wanted to do even without voicing it out. “Taeil, take care of these two for us,” Taeyong said, gestured towards the two younger demons. “We have some stuff to take care of.”

Taeil frowned at the underlying meaning behind the Dementor’s words. Though he knew it was in vain, he tried talking Taeyong out of it, persuaded him that they should ask for the chairman’s help instead of settling things with their hands.

 

“There isn’t much time left,” Hansol chimed in. “Ong wasn’t alone when he did this. He had some help.”

 

“We’re gonna back Johnny-hyung up before things get ugly,” Jaehyun added. “It’ll get really messy if we don’t do anything.”

 

Taeil was about to argue more, to emphasize that it would be dangerous if they went out by themselves but one look from Taeyong was all it needed for him to argue, a silent promise that they would be careful. Their group was really stubborn with it came to helping each other out. Taeil sighed in defeat, he couldn’t win against the Dementor this time. Taeyong had left some last minute instructions to Taeil while Jaehyun was busy pestering Doyoung. Hansol was slightly annoyed. _Why am I the only one lonely?_

 

“Hurry up, lover boys,” Hansol called but the two asked for a bit more of time. “I’ll just wait outside.”

 

Like he said, Hansol was about to go out but － “Hey.” Yuta held him by the sleeve of his jacket, prevented him from leaving the room. Hansol slightly turned his head to look at the Elf. “Be careful,” Yuta mumbled at the end, so softly that it almost came out as a whisper but the Goblin heard it nonetheless.

 

“And now you care?” Though the sentiment and intention was purely innocent, Hansol couldn’t resist the urge to vex the younger male.

 

“Bastard! I don’t!” he barked but Hansol could see how red the tips of his ears were. _He was a bad liar_ , Hansol thought. “But bring Ten back. Please?”

 

From the corner of his eye, he could see Taeyong smirking at him and Jaehyun wagged his eyebrows suggestively. “We will,” Hansol promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ong makes an entrance, what happens next? Where's Ten? Stay tuned.


	16. EXODUS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look who we have here ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything, I'm sorry for the very very late update. My majors had been stressing me to no end and I really had no time to write anything. I have a ton of exams this September so I'm not sure when the next update will be but if I have time, I'll try to write as much as I can.
> 
> Thanks for dropping by, loves! Xoxo.

 

 

Ten wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not, but it seemed like he was. Everything was dark, every direction he turned his head to he was promised nothing but total iniquity－ pitch black. It had been a while since something like that had happened to him while he was in deep slumber. Was it another nightmare?

 _But wait, how did I fall asleep?_ Ten couldn't seem to remember; how he got there, even what happened after he woke up that morning and went to school. Nothing came to mind at all.  _What the hell?_

He was just walking around aimlessly, dragged his heavy feet with each stride, searching for something－ anything－ to keep himself both busy and sane. As rare as it was, Ten felt scared. He was alone and the mere thought gave him the chills.

 

 

 

_"Ten...."_

 

 

By reflex, Ten turned his head at the mention of his own name. Someone was calling out for him but where it came from, he did not know. He stared at afar, tried to decipher where its source was but saw none－ nothing at all in the expanse. But the deep baritone lingered, it echoed, dancing swiftly against the unseen air.

 

_"Can you hear me, Ten?"_

 

 

There it was again.

The voice sounded awfully familiar.  _Why have I heard it before?_ Ten was thoughtful.

 

 

_"Ten, answer me. Are you safe?"_

Then it doomed on him, the realization hit Ten hard. There was no mistaking it－

 

 

 

"Johnny?" Ten dared ask. "Is that you?"

 

 

 _"Yeah, it's me,"_ the voice answered and Ten felt relieved somehow. He wasn't by himself anymore.

Though they only talked for a few instances in the span of a few weeks, Ten was sure that the heavy rumble belonged to him, it sounded exactly like Johnny Seo. Ten then hurriedly spun around, wanting to know where the Alpha Incubus was, but to his dismay, Johnny was nowhere in plain sight. "Where are you?"

 

_"Don't worry about me. Keep yourself safe until I arrive."_

 

Ten frowned at the other's cryptic words. What was Johnny saying? "What do you mean?"

 

_"Just wait for me. I'll come get you. I swear."_

 

The last part was hardly audible, it had turned into a whisper and Ten almost hadn't caught it.

But the brief explanation wasn't enough to satiate Ten's raging curiosity. It didn't made any sense. Ten was just as confused as he was a minute ago. Ten tried reaching out to Johnny, to further question him about his whereabouts, but no answer came that time, not even a simple grumble.

Johnny was gone.

 _Where the hell was Johnny? And why was he looking for Ten? Where was Ten anyway?_  All the questions he had were buzzing inside his head and it was deafening, somehow figuratively ringing off the large area. Ten felt like he was going insane. He needed to get out of there. The only solution he could think of was to wake up. Everything will be clear once he did. So he willed himself to open his eyes.

_Ten, wake up._

 

 

Then, by coincidence, his body jerked itself unconsciously and Ten woke up as an unfamiliar hand tapped him gently by the shoulder. Ten was extra sensitive that time so albeit it was just a slight brush, when warm fingers touched the fabric of his white undershirt, he felt it nonetheless.

"Who are you?! What are you doing?!" Ten exclaimed rather loudly when his eyes faltered open, shocking even his perpetrator. Ten tried moving away from the towering figure in front of him, pushed his body upwards, but to no avail. When Ten looked up, he realized he was handcuffed to the bed's post－ of a bed that clearly didn't belong to him.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you," the stranger assured in a soft tone but Ten was highly doubtful.

Ten thought about squirming till he freed himself but he deemed it was hopeless given that he was in a bind so he stayed still as to not bruise his wrists. As his eyesight slowly adjusted to the blinding brightness of the room, Ten's gaze caught his. Despite the physique, the other wasn't threatening at all, the presence itself wasn't as harmful as it should have been for someone who had kidnapped an innocent person, so somehow Ten was thankful.

"I brought you something to eat," he added, a friendly smile on his face. Ten noticed his offender holding a plate of food in his left hand－ yeah, it was a male. "You must be hungry, hyung." He offered the silverware to Ten, to feed him if necessary, but the latter was stubborn and hadn't accepted. Ten was being vigilant, it could be spiked for all he knew. Ten didn't want to die by poison, it wasn't the best way to go and what would his father think? Donghae taught him better than that.

"Answer my question first," Ten said, very persuasive. "Where are we?"

The other turned to stare at Ten straight in the eye before he placed the dish on the bedside table, in case Ten got hungry. "To be honest, hyung, I have no idea as well," he answered truthfully.

Ten was momentarily shocked when the boy used that specific honorific on him but when Ten pondered on the idea, the more he took fast glimpses at the other, Ten decided that the former was indeed younger. The glowing and vernal features the young boy possessed was not overlooked. He definitely was a few years younger than Ten, likely just around 14 or 15-years old.  _Jaemin and Jeno are probably even older than he is._

Though what was off putting about him was not his age but the fact that the boy looked just as lost as Ten was with regard to his current predicament and it could only mean one thing.

"Are you－"

As if he read Ten's mind, the lad answered, "I'm held captive here as well, hyung."

Ten was struck at the revelation, his eyes widened incredibly.  _What is he doing here?_ But before he could ask－"Hyung, you should eat," the younger kept on insisting, gestured for the food he had brought with him awhile ago, not wanting it to go to waste. He was sitting on the bed with Ten, knees bent onto the soft mattress but within a good distance away from the older male, still giving him his much deserved space. "I could feed you. You look like you need your energy back."

Ten appreciated the younger for caring although they had just met and they were in such a complicated situation, but eating was the least of his problems. "I don't need food, I need to get out of here," Ten said with urgency. "I don't know why you're here as well but we both need to find a way to escape."

"Tough chance but you aren't leaving until I say so," another voice from the other side on the room interjected and Ten swore he saw the younger boy's body stiffened marginally at the venomous sound.

Apparently, the door had opened without the both of them noticing and in came another unfamiliar face.

Unlike the previous male, the newly arrived was taller and more mature looking. He was wearing formal clothes－ monochrome from head to toe. He stood at the doorway, leaned against the frame before he stepped inside, evidently pleased and arms crossed in attempt to cross off as intimidating. "Ong did a good job. He really did brought you here." The way he said it made Ten sick to the bones, his skin crawled at the disgusting timber the other used to refer to him.

As Ten was busy analyzing the situation and hadn't made any sort of comment, the man fixated his sight on the youngest in the room."Seonho, get out," the man then ordered idly. Ten frowned,  _Seonho? was that the kid's name?_  Seonho quickly shot to his feet and made his way outside of the room as he was told to, silently closing the door behind him.

 

"Who are you?" Ten interrogated the very moment the lock clicked shut and they were far from extra prying ears. Ten just wished Seonho was alright, there was no hiding how scared the younger looked as he went out. The other man, however, remained unfazed as he continued gawking at Ten. Ignoring the sleek stares, Ten tried going through his head about when and where he had seen the man before in his life but it was no use, Ten didn't knew who he was.

 

"Wu Yi Fan," the other answered with a sly smirk. "But you can call me Kris."

* * *

 

 

 

 

Kris was satisfied. When he sought for Ong's assistance in his quest to capture Johnny's better half, he hadn't expected that things would go as smoothly as he hoped but it did. Not a single problem at all. It was like fate was in his favor for once.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ten asked in the midst of all the confusion. Kris admired him for it. For someone who was taken against his will and brought to a deserted location he had no clue of whatsoever, Ten remained visibly calm and level-headed. Other people would have freaked out, made a fuss, but not him. Kris hated to admit it but with someone who had a strong persona like Ten's, it was no wonder he was destined to be with Johnny.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kris replied, raised a skeptical brow at his captive.

"But why me?"

"Because you're Johnny's mate."  _And_   _Johnny Seo is a fool for leaving his mate unguarded._

"I am not!" Ten argued back, his voice was an octave higher that it should have been, invisible red fumes came out from his ears.

Kris saw how Ten balled his fist, the cuffs around his wrist clucked against the metal post. Kris shook his head repeatedly in amusement. "Denying it wouldn't do you any good." Seeing Ten defenseless, unable to move made Kris proud. It was a feat. "I have been waiting for a chance like this in years and now it's finally here."

"What are you even trying to gain for this, huh?"

"Simple. Revenge." Kris took several confident paces until he stood at the foot of the bed, glowered down at Ten from his position. "Keeping you here will definitely make that Seo run amok."

Ten frowned deeply.  _This man is planning something bad to Johnny._  "What did Johnny do to you that made you do this anyway?"

Kris wasn't fond of nosy people but he decided to let it slide for the mean time. Kris slightly bent down, hunched his lanky form forward, reached to run a hand down Ten's face but Ten was quick to avert his head before Kris' fingers landed on him. "He took something that was rightfully mine." Kris clicked his tongue and the assertion tasted bitter when it slid pass his tightly pursed lips. He roughly grabbed Ten's chin and forced the younger to stare at him.

Ten looked crossed, not liking being manhandled, but a midst of all that apparent rage, Kris saw a glint of confusion that briefly shone on his orbs. Kris couldn't blame him, not a lot of humans knew about the deepest secrets the demon society tried to conceal from the rest of the world.

Despite their obvious personal and petty dispute, Kris and Johnny knew each other for quite some time. Kris also attended Labyrinth in his youth. There wasn't supposed to be any bad blood between the two demons, not until they got themselves involved with Exodus.

Exodus was an underground group; of elite demons and royalties. It was founded centuries before but no one knew how or exactly when. It was one of a few guilds that demons boast highly of. But Exodus was the highest of the high. Getting in was difficult and so was getting out. Only a few were chosen out of a thousand who aspired to get admitted, Kris was one of them. He was hungry for power, adored being feared, and the numerous connections the position entitled him to－ being part of Exodus would guarantee him that and more. But the group's number was limited. It was said that the most number of members Exodus could accept was 12, it had been their tradition. There were already 11 known members at that time－Kris thought it was finally his chance. He would finally get into Exodus, it would be simply just a walk in the park for him.

Like any other dark organization, Exodus sent out cryptic messages to those who they wanted in the group, to undergo a final trial, to test if they would be truly deserving to be fully accepted under Exodus' protective wing. Kris wasn't afraid of the possible tasks the members would ought to make them do. He wanted it after all. He would go through hell and back just to get it.

Their rite of passage was done somewhere in the northern part of Seoul, in the middle of a not-so known forest to keep interruptions a bay. But the jig was when Kris was called for his so called 'final task', so was Johnny Seo. Only one would be chosen between them but somehow, Kris wasn't threatened despite knowing  how 'unique' and 'special' Johnny was. Johnny was just high school freshman then, what could he be possibly capable of that could surpass even Kris' powers?

However, Johnny proved Kris wrong. After their rather rigorous, harsh, and almost endless trial, Johnny was chosen over him. The young boy stood victorious against him.  But even with a heavy heart and a shattered ego, Kris was a good sport, he would taken it as that and accepted defeat like a real man but Johnny did the unthinkable after that. When the current leader announced his acceptance into Exodus, Johnny stubbornly declined the offer in front of the existing members. Then gestured at Kris, proposing that they give the spot to Kris instead since Johnny wasn't even interested about joining them in the first place. He only came when he was called because he was curious as to what level of difficulty getting into Exodus meant.  _"It's not that hard after all," Johnny said then._  It terribly wounded Kris' pride.

The members took it to offence and everything went chaotic after the young Alpha's words. But Johnny fled, uncaring of the fix he had left Kris with. When he was finally gone and Kris' mind had finished processing the turn of events and his rationality came into terms, he realized that he didn't want it anymore, he didn't want to be in Exodus, especially not when it was Johnny who shamefully handed it to him like it was some sort of gift-- like Kris was some freaking charity case. Kris vowed revenge right then and there.

Kris had been searching for Johnny's weakness prior, but for someone as cold and heartless as the Alpha Incubus was, Kris saw none and was at the brick of giving up but Ten suddenly appeared out of nowhere, much to Kris' convenience. When that fiasco happened at the school's cafeteria, when Johnny blurted out about the identity of his own mate, Ong Seongwoo, who was one of the many spectators and a student of Labyrinth, was quick to report to Kris about the urgent news. And that was when their plan turned into action. Who knew that Johnny also had a mate? It was very interesting. 

"If you get hurt, so does he." Kris had a wicked grin on his face as his grip on Ten tightened marginally. Ten gritted his teeth at the pain. It was the perfect revenge scheme. "It's payback time."


	17. Wake Me Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't want to update this 'cause I'm still mourning over Jonghyun's death but I've been very unstable since yesterday and I needed to keep my mind off certain things before it gets out of hand. Thank you for waiting, it's been awhile. See you on the next!

 

“Shut up!” Johnny shouted at his friends as he trashed about, in vain efforts to get Jaehyun－ who was clinging onto his arm tightly like an overly affectionate panda bear to keep him from destroying everything in his path— off.

“Johnny, calm down,” Hansol said for the nth time already but it did nothing to appease his agitated friend. Hansol felt like he was about to acquire another headache from all the fuss that Johnny was making.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” the Alpha roared in retort and Taeyong, who was observing them from the edge, looked like he had popped a vein on the side of his head and was evidently close to losing his cool as well.

Hansol heaved several deep breaths. It was impossible to get things in order when all of them were at edge. Even Taeyong looked like he was about to burst.

It took a while before he, Jaehyun, and Taeyong managed to catch up after Johnny had ran away to who knows where, and given his head start, it wasn’t a piece of cake. Johnny was fast— extremely fast. But good thing they had Jaehyun, the vampire had caught Johnny before he went completely rogue and berserk, followed closely by the other two. They found themselves outside school property, not too far away from the grounds, just close to the main gate. There weren’t any guards who usually stood watch and Hansol was relieved. Damn it, they were going to be in big trouble if someone found out that they went off borders. _The chairman will kill us._

But that was least of their worries.

“Nothing good is going to come out if you continue acting up like that,” Hansol tried reasoning out as he brushed a lazy hand across his disarrayed hair.  He needed to stay level headed for all of them, to not be swayed. Because if he won’t, who would? “We can’t save Ten if you’re like this.”

“Hyung’s right. Besides, we don’t even know who exactly took your mate,” Jaehyun said.

“It’s Ong! Taeyong said so! His scent was over the place where they took Ten!”

“But what motive would Ong Seongwoo have to take Ten in the first place?”

“It’s obvious that it’s because of me!” Johnny claimed as he swung his arm but Jaehyun wouldn’t budge. “It’s always the same reason!”

“Seongwoo isn’t stupid, you know that very well,” Taeyong snapped back as he rolled his eyes in exasperation at the Alpha Incubus. “Think about it for a minute, Johnny. It doesn’t make sense at all.”

Johnny opened his mouth to argue some more, but he quickly closed it after. He was quiet for a minute, like he was actually considering the other’s words. Then, he somehow managed to relax, his shoulders weren’t as tense as they were earlier and his facial features softened. He sighed and Jaehyun loosened his hold on him before letting go, deeming that Johnny had finally come to his senses.

They waited. For what their friend was going to do next.

“So what do you suggest we do?” Johnny said after some time.

“We look for Seongwoo,” Taeyong answered, determined. “He isn’t the mastermind behind Ten’s disappearance and I’ll bet everything on it.” Taeyong had already gone everything through his head, every single detail and information they had on hand. “But he’s the only one who could make things clear for us.” Though he already had a hunch who took Ten, he wasn’t so sure just yet. They needed Seongwoo for that, they needed to be sure.

“Ong isn’t in school,” Jaehyun interjected. “That’s for sure.”

“It’s impossible that he went back to his pack. That would be a dumb move.”

Hansol frowned. “Where else could he be hiding then?”

 

 

 

 

“Right here,” an oh-too familiar voice said. Hansol knew who it belonged to.

And yes, it was him.

It was Ong Seongwoo.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Ong Seongwoo looked exactly the same as Hansol first saw him years ago in those annual banquets held by royalties and elite families— only a tad bit older physically. The Goblin had conversed with him once or twice, Johnny was never there since he hated such occasions and claimed that they were boring— they were. All three were forced by their parents to interact, one way or another, since they were all the same age, all seniors in Labyrinth with Taeyong, just in different classes. But Seongwoo was different, he was more mature looking, more refined than they were— being his pack’s head Alpha at such a young age after his father passed away might have caused it. But that smug smirk on his handsome face, imposing bearing and proud stance, all of it hadn’t changed, not at the slightest.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Seongwoo greeted with an accustomed tone and a smile that reached till his eyes. Hansol wasn’t certain if it was genuine or not from where he stood. “Nice to see you lot.”

“Why are you here?” It was Taeyong who interrogated since the rest were scrambling to form coherent sentences of their own at the other Alpha’s untimely arrival infront of their midst.

“I decided to lessen your troubles and show myself so you wouldn’t have to find me.” Seongwoo flashed each of them a grin, nothing too extreme but when his gaze landed on Johnny’s, the other’s face curled into something both suggesting and sinister. “And to see Johnny.”

“You dare show your face in front of me, you bastard?!?”

Johnny was ready to charge and take offence yet again, but it was a good thing that Hansol was quick on his feet and grabbed Johnny by the arm, tightening his grip so the other wouldn’t be able to move and do as he pleased.

Only then did Hansol notice that Seongwoo wasn’t alone.

“Easy there, Guan Lin,” Seongwoo said to one of his companions that dared take a step forward. “Stand back. They aren’t threats.”

“Be careful with what you say,” Jaehyun barked, almost seethed at the underlying meaning behind the Alpha’s words. “Don’t underestimate us. We could kill you even before Johnny does.”

Seongwoo did nothing but laugh at Jaehyun’s words, testing the vampire’s patience. The sound ringed through the expanse and echoed. _This guy is really asking for a funeral._

 

 

“Why did you take Ten away?” Hansol tried asking instead.

“It wasn’t personal,” was his response.

“Well it became personal when you decided to take my mate away from under my nose!” Johnny answered back.

“You were the one who put him in danger in the first place.” Ong shrugged causally. “What kind of Alpha would do that to this own mate?”

There was no hiding the profound anger evident on his features as Johnny’s face scrunched at the statement.

 _Wrong move._ Hansol could sense Johnny’s aura growing stronger from underneath his palms and it felt hot and dangerous, _very._

“Tae,” Johnny uttered as he turned to Hansol— Hansol took his hand back quickly— before he gazed at the Dementor. His eyes were mostly void, black and soulless, but there was a hushed plea in them, a gentle flash; Johnny oh-so desperately trying to control himself.

That caught Hansol slightly off guard. Johnny— the one and only stubborn and prideful Johnny Seo—was really asking Taeyong to use his powers on him. And the latter seemed shocked as well.

But Johnny’s patience and temper was hanging on by a thin thread and given that his mate was involved, they needed him to stay sane and functional. _So Johnny was doing it for Ten’s sake then?_ And Taeyong was the only one who was capable of such so the Dementor was quick to make a move. It wasn’t every day that the Alpha Incubus was willingly allowing the Dementor to do as he pleased.

Though he was technically stealing another person’s energy, Taeyong hadn’t honed his ability to the fullest yet and using his powers drained him of his own. Taeyong was already exhausted after repeatedly using them on Johnny earlier but it was a matter of grave importance. And Hansol knew that Taeyong was aware of that too. Taeyong’s was intensely immersed, forcing himself to concentrate and Johnny grew weaker as each second passed; it was a sign that it was working. Hansol saw and felt his aura, still strong but significantly less than it was before. Johnny turned to spare Taeyong a sharp glare when he sensed that the Dementor was taking too much but the latter’s expression remained stoic.

_Sorry, Johnny._

“Okay Ong, enough games,” Taeyong said, after he took a deep breath to steady himself and was certain that he had kept Johnny in check. _It would only last for two minutes though._ “What do you want?”

“Whatever you do mean?”

Hansol wasn’t going to lie, Seongwoo really rubbed him off the wrong way. At that moment, the Goblin finally understood why Seongwoo and Johnny were never in good terms despite being both wolves and their respective packs sharing domain over Seoul.

“Look, we know that it wasn’t you who planned to take Ten. I saw you with your friends at the cafeteria earlier, you wouldn’t have done everything in that short time span,” Taeyong started without beating the bush. “So tell us, who are you working for, Ong? Who did this?”

But Seongwoo wasn’t as cooperative as Hansol had hoped he would be. He had his mouth shut the whole time, observing them in some wicked way.

“We don’t have all day, Seongwoo,” Hansol said with crossed arms. “Either you tell us where Johnny’s mate is or your clan loses their head Alpha. Now, how would _your Daniel_ feel if that was the case?” Hansol knew that he had hit a nerve and smirked in triumph when he saw how dark the other’s face turned when the Goblin mentioned his very own mate. That was the downside of strong wolves like Seongwoo and Johnny— they had a duty to protect their own. It was their nature after all. Hansol was never the type to make baseless threats and harm innocent people without reason but when push comes to shove, it needed to be done. He promised Yuta that they would save Ten without fail and Hansol was going to pull through no matter what.

 _It’s because of the promise, not because of that weak elf,_ Hansol told himself.

 

 

“It was a mistake to come meet us with no extra reinforcements.” Taeyong added as he eyed the other three people behind Seongwoo, noting how their auras combined weren’t as strong as theirs. “You’ve underestimated us, Seongwoo.” Taeyong was grinning mischievously. And it was never a good sign. Well, for Seongwoo’s case.

Although Seongwoo was silently contemplating on his next course of action for a few moments, but judging from the way his eyes suddenly twitched as he stared at them, Hansol knew it won’t be long before he finally gave in. But it took a while before they got the response they had been waiting for. Seongwoo sighed in defeat then dejectedly took a step back and lower his head before bearing his throat at Johnny’s direction, a sign of vulnerability and submission for their kind. His minions followed after. They were finally acknowledging Johnny’s rank over them.

Johnny stood upright, head held high, gaze ahead and accepting the display of respect with a bristled yet cool appearance. _It’s amazing,_ Hansol thought as he looked at the wolves interacting. “Now speak. Tell us what you know.” Johnny’s tone sounded commanding but less stern.

Seongwoo straightened himself. “Taeyong’s right. Someone else was behind the kidnapping.”

“Who is it?”

“Kris. Kris Wu.”

Hansol heard Johnny snarled heatedly at the mention of the name but he paid it no mind. He was more concerned with the idea why a person like Kris would dare cross Johnny. It was ludicrous.

“We only did what we were told to because we didn’t have a choice. He took someone from my pack and held them captive. If we didn’t do his bidding then who knows what would happen,” Seongwoo explained, frowning then he glanced cautiously at Johnny. “But now we do.”

Hansol wanted to chime in but decided against it. The Alphas were engrossed in their own conservation, he had no room to butt in, and he shouldn’t intrude in wolves’ business.

“We’re willing to compromise. We need to help each other out,” Seongwoo suddenly proposed and that was enough to catch their interest. “You want Johnny’s mate back, right? Well, we want my brother’s omega back.” Seongwoo beckoned for the other taller male beside him. Guan Lin, if Hansol could remember correctly. “And I have an idea how we could do that.”

“What do you have in mind?” Hansol saw how Jaehyun discernibly trembled in anticipation at the promise of a fight. Taeyong and Johnny had the same look plastered on their faces.

_It’s bound to be a blood bath._

 

Hansol loved the sound of it already.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Do you want to eat as well?” Ten asked nicely as he was silently munching on the food that was handed to him without further protest. “There’s a lot, I can’t finish this by myself.” When Kris left the room, after he was done intimidating Ten, he took off Ten’s binds, much to the latter’s relief. Although he had restrained himself from hurting his captive, Kris was somewhat convinced that Ten wouldn’t think about escaping and removed the cuffs. And besides, how could he escape? Ten had no clue where he even was!

“I’m fine, hyung,” Seonho said as he gently shook his head to decline the offer and smiled. “I already ate something earlier before I went up here. That’s your share, hyung. You’ll need your energy back.”

Ten nodded and returned the gesture. Seonho was really considerate, Ten decided that he liked the younger male— regardless of whatever he was. The younger was warm and bright, wasn’t threatening at the slightest. He had a comforting air around him despite his age.

Silence invaded the room shortly after. It was awkward, to say at least. Ten continued eating while Seonho gawked at him, eyeing every movement he made with brown orbs that shone of wonder and amazement, like it was the first time he had been around another person.

_Is it?_

The idea made Ten thoughtful. “Seonho-ah, how did you get here?” Ten asked instead. “Why are you here?” Since their first encounter hours prior, Ten had been curious about the younger male.

Seonho, on the other hand, hadn’t expected the rather spontaneous query. His round eyes widened marginally and Ten thought he looked very cute— like an owl. The younger didn’t respond immediately and Ten regretted asking in the first place— it was rude of him. Though it was brief, there was a sudden flicker in the younger’s eyes before he averted his gaze that Ten failed not to notice; silent melancholy, perhaps. “It was my fault,” he said, whisper-like.

The answer was enough for Ten to perceive that it was none of his business. Seonho appeared very uncomfortable— he was fidgeting and clumsily playing with the hem of his dress shirt. It seemed like a touchy topic so Ten hadn’t pushed his luck any further.  Ten changed the topic and good thing that the younger had engaged him in conversation. They talked just like that. Seonho was a naturally cheerful kid, he was lively and Ten envied him for it. _How could he be so optimistic when he was held captive as well?_ Ten thought.

“You have a mate, hyung?” Seonho asked suddenly, curious just the same and Ten was stunned; he didn’t know how to retort to that.

“I-I don’t know, Seonho-ah,” he stuttered in between his sentence and Ten cursed at himself inwardly. Ten wasn’t lying because he wasn’t really sure. Kris mentioned about Johnny Seo being his mate and Ten could remember the commotion in the cafeteria back in Labyrinth, Johnny blurting out about Ten being his mate. _But was it real?_ He still had those dreams and Johnny's voices in them. _Would those be enough?_  Ten could never be certain. And how could he have a mate when he was a human?

“It would be cool if you have one, though,” Seonho added. “Mates are really cool.”

“How do you say so?”

“‘cause I have one too,” he answered and there wasn’t a hint of reluctance or fear in the younger’s voice. Actually, when he turned to look at Ten, his eyes were shining beautifully, crystal-like against the faint fluorescent light inside the quarters. “And I think it’s quite nice. To have someone who would protect you, to be there for you when you need them.”

Ten frowned at the underlying meaning behind the younger’s words. _Wasn’t he too young to have a mate?_ Ten was confused. From what he knew, usually those who were presented with their mates were of legal age, unless— “Seonho, if you don’t mind me asking, just what exactly are you?”

Seonho tilted his head to the side and quirked a questioning brow. “I thought it was obvious, hyung. My aura is quite prominent. Well, my other hyungs often say so.”

“But I’m human,” Ten explained, “so I can’t feel auras.”

“Really?” Seonho appeared genuinely shocked. “You don’t feel like a human to me. Honestly, you don’t feel like anything at all.”

“Yeah. I get that a lot.” So Seonho almost couldn’t feel what Ten was too, huh? “It’s weird, right?”

“You’re just unique, hyung. And being unique is good, too.” The younger male took Ten’s hand and rested his palm on top of  the older's and shook his head, noticing the way how Ten looked ashamed of himself. “It means you are special.” Seonho gave him a small encouraging smile and Ten honestly felt his heart swell.

There it was again; that warm, fuzzy and comfortable feeling whenever Seonho looked at him. Ten felt safe and that was very strange because he knew he wasn’t. _What is this?_

“Seonho, what are you?” Ten couldn’t help it anymore, the curiosity was killing him inside.

 

 

“A wolf,” Seonho answered. “An omega.”

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

 

“Good night, hyung.”

“Good night, Seonho.” The barely audible click of the door as it closed was loud amidst the stillness in the room. Seonho had turned off the lights before he left— Kris’ orders. It was dark and chilly in there; the moon’s luminous glow that passed through the glass window at the side was the only source of light. The bit of brightness did not help much though. The large room was furnished to perfection but it still felt empty and bare. In the center proudly stood the bed he was on. It felt cold under Ten’s toes just the same, despite piles and piles of blankets by his side.

Alas, Ten was alone, _again_.

He was used to it, but only when Seonho left did it dawn on him and made him rather uneasy. He contemplated about calling Seonho back since he could use another person’s presence in such a hostile environment but he feared for the young omega’s safety. With his unconventional ways, Kris was a ruthless and vile man and he had already given his orders. Seonho would only get hurt if he dared defy him for Ten’s sake. And Ten wasn’t desperate or stupid enough to do that.

Only the sound of cicadas hibernating on nearby trees resonated in the air but other than that, nothing more. The silence was deafening in a sense and though it cleared his mind, Ten thought he’d go mad if it lasted any longer. He needed to get out. He needed to escape. But how was he supposed to do that? He was no longer in bound but Ten was unconscious when he was brought to the mystery estate and he had only just met his captor. He did not even know where on earth he was— was he even in Korea still—or who he was truly up against. With years of rigorous training on his belt Ten could easily say that he was at a disadvantage and it wasn’t wise to be drastic with his actions. He calculated carefully every possible loophole and open window he could find then deduced it was better to just play it cool for a while. Ten needed to survey the house first to further know its in’s and out’s, it was his safest bet.

What should he do for the meantime then? Should he just wait and see what would come next?

But for whom should he wait for? For someone to save him?

And who would do that?

His friends? They must have been worried sick about him but it was impossible.

Who else then? Johnny?

Ten grimaced at the passing thought and shook it away. _Yeah right, as if that bastard will even save me._

Ten knew it was mostly wishful thinking but it wouldn't take long before Kris would allow him out of his quarters. Evidently, Kris needed him and he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him _yet_. Though it was hardly working, Kris was trying to break Ten’s morals bit by bit, taunting him and alike. But it didn’t stray from his original plan; he needed Ten to get to Johnny.

Ten was the bait.

It made perfect sense. They planned to lure Johnny in through Ten, attack him while he was vulnerable.

But what made Kris so sure that Johnny would come for Ten? Because they were m— the idea made Ten’s stomach flip— mates? _Nonsense, we are nothing._

Minutes passed by fleetingly, with Ten lying lifelessly against the soft mattress, staring at the stained ceiling. It hadn’t been long but for him it felt like an eternity.  It was hard to fall asleep. He had closed his eyes numerous times but it wouldn’t come to him. It was strange, dreaming had never been a struggle before— no matter how painful and unbearable his dreams were. To him, dreaming was constant. At least in his dreams he would be free, not stuck inside an isolated mansion; at least in his slumber he would be able to see and talk to Johnny— what? _What the hell am I thinking again?_

Though the future seemed bleak, somehow, Ten was certain that everything would turn out fine.

_Everything does eventually._

 

Unknowingly, a small smile was plastered on his face as he slowly closed his eyes, a comforting darkness swallowing him in until he was back to where he had first originally wanted to be in. He was drowned in a sea of nothingness and had resurfaced to that familiar place again, the dark expanse he had grown accustomed to, the same location of mostly all of his dreams.

Ten looked around. He was all alone and it made him disappointed. He had expected some company like last time— in the tiniest bit of his mind, he had expected that Johnny would be there.

Maybe if he waited then Johnny would come?

But who was Ten kidding, Johnny wouldn’t do that. _He doesn’t care about me anyway, why should he?_

Ten wanted to slap himself right then. His thoughts were running out of control again. It was foolish. Even bothering to think of the guy who almost raped him was stupid. Ten was better off by himself, like he always had been.

Without anything else to do, he walked around for a while, barefooted for some reason, irresolute of where he was supposed to go. But he walked, wherever his feet took him; he followed diligently like it would actually lead him somewhere.

He had walked for about half a mile already and Ten knew he was just walking in circles. There was nowhere to head to anyway so what’s the point of it all? Damn it.

 

_“Ten.”_

 

Ten quickly whipped his head to the direction of the call of his name.

 

“ _Ten…”_

 

It came again, louder that time.

Ten was thunderstruck, stuck on his feet and color drained from his face.

 

He knew that voice.

 

 

“Johnny?” he dared to ask. “J-Johnny, is that you?”

 

 

Ten waited for an answer and nothing came.

But Ten had a feeling.

_He was there._

Ten wasn’t sure why but he just knew it.

Johnny did not come out like Ten had expected and there was no way Ten could see him in the darkness. There was no light that he could follow, there was no beacon to guide him. Nothing at all.

 

 

Just when he had almost lost hope, Ten heard several voices more that filled the once lonesome space, shouting incoherently, both vulgar and disturbing, some which he had easily recognized. They sounded so loud and so real that they were bound to be close by. There were many of them.

 

 

_Are they here for me?_

 

 

Ten willed himself to wake up, to see for himself, but something was pulling him back just when he felt he was close. It was like a blanket, a black blanket that enveloped him protectively. It wasn’t gentle, no it wasn’t. It was harsh and it kept him in place— it kept him safe. It was cold, yes, but it was also inviting. Ten had learned to appreciate the coldness of it.

 

_“Don’t open your eyes.”_

 

Ten wanted to bark back. _How dare he tell me what to do?_ But decided against it in the end.

 

“What’s happening?” he asked.

 

The reply came faster compared to the first one.

 

_“I’m taking you back.”_

 

Huh. Johnny made it sound so easy.

Ten needed to do something. He needed to wake up.

But the more he struggled, the more burdensome it had become. Whatever was holding him held him tighter. The constraints were suffocating, preventing him from leaving.

It was farfetched but Ten knew that Johnny was behind it as well.

What kind of game was Johnny playing?

 

“Where are you?”

 

 

A sudden shot of pain hit Ten close to the gut, like the air was knocked out of him. He crunched down slightly and his hand immediately flew to his stomach, good thing he was able to catch himself before he stumbled and fell down.

_Where did that came from?_

The blow was sharp but bearable. There was no bruise or cut, but the pain was there. He quickly straightened himself off, the slight tenderness feeling still present.

 

 

_“I’m sorry. Are you alright?”_

 

 

The timbre was of honest concern.

It was from Johhny’s end? Ten tried to stop himself but his resolve was slowly crumpling. A recurring thought kept bugging him.

 

“Johnny?” Ten called. “Are you okay?”

 

Ten could sense another, something different, something inside him. It was akin to a blazing fire, hot like molten lava and powerful like a storm. It was burning him from inside out, destroying everything was its sole purpose. But Ten did not flinch for once, not even a second; the warmth was heavenly and the feel was addicting. But there was more. In the sea of passionate flare came something dangerous with it, something Ten could not explain. He felt it though.

And it was dark and strong.

 

_“I’ll save you, no matter what it takes.”_

 

The fire burned more. It scorched like no other, melting everything.

Ten thought it was a beautiful disaster. Mad, yes, but beautiful nonetheless.

 

_“Trust me.”_

 

Ten frowned. Could he really?

The voice sounded so gentle that Ten had to remind himself who its owner was. He wasn’t to be trusted. But one small echo in his head told him otherwise.

The warmth was still there and so was the pain, both hadn’t subsided. The two mixed together was an odd pair.

But not only that.

Ten smelled something.

He smelled blood.

It reeked.

 

“J-Johnny?”

 

_Is he alright?_

 

Silence again.

It took forever, Ten thought.

The longer it took, the more Ten felt his energy depleting, close to succumbing. It took a lot of energy to stay rooted and not drop to his knees.

Then slowly, the storm calmed, and it was frightening. He could not feel Johnny’s presence. He felt void and he had never been so afraid of uncertainty before.

 

 

 

_“It’s over.”_

 

Ten could not comprehend what it meant but he was relieved when he heard it, so relieved that he felt light headed and airborne.  

 

A painful scream came then the smell of iron filled his nostrils.

 

 

 

Ten dropped to the ground.

 

 

He fainted in his sleep— if that was even possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm back. *inserts dramatic drumrolls* lol. I hope you enjoyed this 'cause the next one will be more exciting. I'm still rewriting most parts but it'll be up in 2 days or whatever so watch out. Thank you to my ever awesome beta for reading this through! Much love <3333
> 
> Leave comments if you can, see you soon!


	19. Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's clear some things out ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [>] Runaway - PENTAGON

 

 

Ten felt like he had died an excruciating death and had only lived again to suffer the consequences of being alive.

He groaned in pain as he opened his eyes. A throbbing ache on his temples greeted him as his senses slowly came to consciousness. How it hurt.

“Shine and rise, sleeping beauty,” a deep baritone said close by, alarming Ten of unknown company. His eyesight slowly adjusted to the brightness of the room and though he had garnered neither bruises nor cuts, the pain that shot up his spine at the vain attempt to straighten himself up made him squirm.

“You really shouldn’t move too much.” The tall lean figure standing at his side was no other than Minho. He was putting a small bouquet of flowers in a vase when he heard Ten groan and turned to attend to the younger male. Though Ten relaxed at the other’s familiar face, Ten grew uneasy as Minho didn’t look too happy seeing the younger’s pitiful state.

Ten’s gaze dropped onto his lap and then he realized he wasn’t in his room. He was covered in white, from his loose clothes till the sheets that hugged his chest. Ten grimaced at the strong aroma of antibiotics that flooded his nostrils.

“But it’s good to have you back, Ten,” Minho said as he handed him a glass of water.

“Where am I?” Ten asked after taking a sip from the said glass and then gave it back to Minho. The cool liquid relieved his drying throat.

“Back at school. This is the academy’s infirmary.”

 _That’s strange,_ he thought as he quietly scanned the expanse. Ten had never been on that side of the academy before. Ten knew how extravagant Labyrinth was but being confined inside a fully functional infirmary room that looked more like a high class private hospital room than anything else was way over the top— just how rich could Labyrinth be?

“Taemin asked me to give those to you.” Minho gestured at the flowers proudly standing inside the vase. They were sunflowers which had miraculously bloomed despite the cold weather in the small garden close to Taemin’s studio. Taemin attended them himself, he had mentioned it before to Ten during their many times together. Miracle flowers, he would call them. “Beautiful, right?”

Ten couldn’t agree more. He was touched at the idea that the older male picked such bright floras as he thought of Ten.  He made a mental note to thank his teacher if he saw him when he was discharged. “What happened?” he asked instead.

Minho frowned at the question. “You don’t remember?”

Ten wished he did but everything happened so fast, it was mostly a blur to him. The last thing he saw was a blinding light then the darkness crept in and swallowed him slowly and before he knew it, he was awake and talking to Minho again. He sighed. “I remember bits and pieces but not everything.”

“You got yourself tangled up in some awful business, Ten. I know the hyungs asked you to keep an eye on  _them_  but what happened to lying low?” Minho had his arms crossed in front of his broad chest accusingly; there was intensity and disappointment in his timbre voice. “And you miraculously become one of their mates, to make matters worse.”

Ten’s eyes widened at the assertion. So Minho knew too, huh? But then again, of course he knew. The entire academy might have too. News travel fast after all.

Ten’s life had turned upside down in a span of more than a month staying in Labyrinth and he felt useless. He was raped, kidnapped and now the mate of the kind he hated the most. What more? “Sorry,” Ten murmured softly.

Minho shook his head. “It’s not me you should say sorry to.”

Ten was actually more sorry to himself.

They were silent after that. Minho was staring at him, searching his eyes and observing his morphing expressions. Ten didn’t know what else to say to ease the tension that had grown thick except, “how did you guys find me?” With the absence of a detectable aura and given that he was taken outside of school property, locating him would have been a big struggle, Ten thought.

“It wasn’t us. Someone else did before the chairman sent his men to get you and be brought back for treatment.”

“Someone,” Ten echoed thoughtfully. A single person came to mind.  “Was it Johnny?”

“Why do you ask?”

“He saved me.” It was more of a statement rather than anything else. It was his way to assure himself that he hadn’t imagined what happened in his dream.

But Minho didn’t buy it. There was a tinge of disbelief when he replied, “Yes. Why? Are you worried?”

 _So it really was him._ It was real. Johnny came and rescued Ten while he was knocked out. How he did it while Ten was asleep was a mystery but he did it nonetheless; he saved Ten like he said he would.

Minho made a face, brows knitted in confusion and a subtle trace of interest. 

Ten cleared his throat. “I wasn’t worried.” He sounded less convincing than he initially would have wanted.

Ten had never been so unsure with himself before but he was puzzled with his own thoughts about the Alpha Incubus. He could not comprehend them at all. They varied from time to time, they were never constant. Sure, Johnny might have saved him but he was the very reason why Ten got stuck in such a predicament in the first place. He hated Johnny’s guts, it was expected of him. Hating him felt just, true, however ….  it didn’t felt right either. It was all too confusing for Ten. To loathe him for a minute then sought out his presence in the next. 

And the idea that they were mates still brought him the oddest feeling.

“Right…” Minho trailed thoughtfully and his connotation ticked Ten off but he didn’t press the issue further. He did not want to think or talk about Johnny anymore.

 “And Kris? Where is he?” Ten pried instead, evading the conversation.

Minho narrowed his eyes in bafflement at the mention of the name. “Kris who?”

“The one who—” but the expression on the teacher’s features cut him off. “Don’t tell me they did not catch him?”  Kris was still on the loose? But that would mean— “What happened to Seonho?!” He jerked his body forward in urgency. Ten was horrified, worried about his newly found friend. If Ten was saved, then Seonho should be too, right?

“Ten, what are you talking about?” Minho genuinely looked just as confused as Ten was. “You were taken but it wasn’t—”

“Then who?!” Ten demanded.  His memory might not be the best but Ten was certain his captor was Kris. He even introduced himself! It was Kris who took him, it was Kris who took Seonho from his family as well, it was Kris who promised to avenge his tarnished ego, it was Kris who vowed to get back at Johnny by hurting Ten. “Who kidnapped me then?!?”

“I don’t know,” Minho answered. “The guys who brought you wouldn’t talk. Chairman’s orders, they said.”

“I was so sure it was him,” Ten whispered underneath his breath. “It was Kris Wu.”

But Minho didn’t seem to agree. Something was amiss, he decided.

“Was anyone else hurt then?” Ten swallowed thickly, a burdensome lump formed at the back of his throat. “Or killed?” He silently prayed that Minho would say no. He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to Seonho while he was safe. Where was he? Ten needed to know.

“No clue.”

It was almost nonchalant, slightly indifferent but Minho’s eyes told Ten otherwise. It shone of numerous unspoken truths. What was Minho hiding from him?

“I know you’re still tired but I have some news for you. This can’t wait until tomorrow.”

Brushing aside the other’s vague effort to change the subject entirely, Ten decided to indulge him and asked, “are they any good?”

“Hardly.”

Ten expected as much. When had his life been any less than difficult anyway? “I think I could handle them,” he said.

“The lunch room commotion turned into an uproar. Information was leaked outside the school grounds about you being Johnny Seo’s mate and also about the kidnapping incident. But good thing that both the Jung’s and Seo’s were quick to prevent it from ever reaching the higher ups or even crossing the border. They managed to liquidise the crisis before it got out of hand but—”

“But what?” He raised a sceptical brow.

Minho heaved a breath then continued, “It reached SJ.”

“Y-you mean—”

“Yesung-hyung got hold of the information and informed Leeteuk-hyung before we could do anything. And, he wasn’t very happy about the mate part.” Of course Leeteuk wasn’t happy. Why would he be? Ten had failed him. He was nothing but a disappointment to the group. “They called in earlier, while you were still asleep.” Minho spared him another apologetic look and Ten knew that the storm was just approaching. “Donghae and Hyukjae are on their way here as we speak.”

 “WHAT?!”

“Yes Ten, they’re coming to Labyrinth.”

Well, it wasn’t what Ten was expecting at the slightest.

It was worse.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

If you were to compare, Johnny’s condition wasn’t any better than Ten’s.

The second he woke up, the same blinding light greeting him, his friends crowded his bedside, silent concern painted on their faces.

“You’re finally awake.” It was Taeyong who said it.

Johnny groaned as he pushed himself up then rested his back against the wooden headboard, unmindful of the pain as he levelled his body. He carefully observed his whereabouts after. He was in his room, if the familiar dreary white painted walls were any indication.

“How long was I out?” he asked as he stretched his arms. His muscles were sore and the dull ache was there but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to or what he couldn’t handle.

Jaehyun checked his wrist watch. Johnny noted how the other three were wearing different clothes compared to when they raided Kris’ estate south of the school. “About a few hours. 6 hours at best.”

“That long?” Damn it, he really took his time. And Johnny was never a heavy sleeper. “Is it bad?” he asked, rather hesitant.

“Noting lethal, a few injuries here and there but you healed yourself right away. It was just fatigue,” Hansol said.

“The school doctor dropped by a few hours ago too. He said you just needed to rest and you’ll be up and about before you even know it, hyung.”

“It’s my fault.” Taeyong admitted as he sighed warily. “I’ve drained you of too much energy that your body wasn’t able to replenish that fast enough for the fight.” His gaze was downcast, avoiding Johnny’s.

Taeyong was guilty but he didn’t need to be, Johnny thought. Johnny hated it when Taeyong uses his powers on him but Johnny knew better than to blame the Dementor for it. Johnny asked for it. Whatever Taeyong did was for Johnny’s sake than it was for anyone else’s. Like it always have been. And besides, it was keeping Ten asleep that tire him out mostly, not Taeyong’s work.

“It’s not,” Johnny insisted. Ten was safe and that was all that mattered. “You did great, Tae.”

Taeyong’s face, though feigning distance, relaxed at the assertion when he turned back to the Alpha Incubus. Jaehyun gently patted him on the shoulder while Johnny caught a glimpse of Hansol slightly smiling at them. They were worried about him and Johnny would never say it out loud but he was thankful that he had such people in his life.

“How’s Ten?” The question came without much deeper thought and Johnny frowned when it slipped pass his lips. Why did he care? Johnny could not comprehend why he felt worried in the first place, was it because the petite male was his mate? Like some kind of natural instinct for his demons?

Hansol and Taeyong mirrored his expression but they didn’t say anything.

“We don’t know. He’s confined in the infirmary though. His room is off limits,” Taeyong explained.

The other boys then told him how the chairman had sent his men to fetch them when he caught wind about what happened at the cafeteria and what they were planning.

“The chairman closed the entire wing for Ten. He was so pissed when we arrived.”

Even Jaehyun, who was the chairman’s younger brother, visibly shivered at the memory. “We’re doomed. Hyung wants to see us in his office the first thing tomorrow morning.”

“But he’s happy that everyone’s safe and no one got hurt so he’ll be merciful at least,” Taeyong added.

Johnny sighed in relief. He was close to the Jung’s and even though Yunho might be a dotting brother to Jaehyun and their group, Johnny did not want to mess with the older or his unpredictable temper just the same. There was a reason why Yunho was Labyrinth’s chairman after all.

They talked for a bit more, about their next course of actions, until Johnny realized the time.

“You guys should rest too,” Johnny said as he waved a dismissing hand. “Check on your boys while you are at it.”

Jaehyun and Taeyong didn’t need to be told twice before they were out the door in a hurry to search for  _their_ boys— Johnny wanted to barf at the phrase.

“You aren’t leaving with them?” Johnny asked as he noticed that Hansol hadn’t left his previous spot.

“I have no one to check up on.” The Goblin shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

“ _Really….._ ” Johnny mused then gave him a knowing grin.

Hansol scoffed and rolled his eyes at him in return then sat on the chair by his side and crossed his long limbs. “Do you remember anything?” Like a switch, he turned serious almost instantly.

“Yeah,” Johnny answered honestly. “Before and during but not after.”

With Seongwoo’s assistance, they had managed to locate Ten’s whereabouts with ease— he was held in an estate that was veiled under another’s name but was in fact Kris’. They broke inside without much finesse; Johnny’s temper got the better of him and he dove right in before Taeyong could even voice out his well-thought out plan. The bout didn’t last long, much to Johnny’s unspoken disappointment. They were outnumbered by ten to one— Kris’ guards and added reinforcements were more than what they had calculated— but their group was obviously stronger. Taeyong’s powers and Jaehyun’s combat skills were more than sufficient to knock more than half of their opponents. Seongwoo and his pack were a force to be reckoned with as well. Only Kris had managed to put up a worthy fight. Johnny was firm with his notion about he would be the one to battle the older man despite Seongwoo’s cautions.

Johnny didn’t care about anything else: of Seongwoo’s Alpha pride or of Kris’ revenge scheme. All he cared about was Ten and Ten alone. Kris took Ten from him and Kris was going to pay for it. And Johnny always collects a debt with interest.

At the thought, Johnny unconsciously dragged his tongue against the dried seam of his lower lip. He smirked, he could still taste blood on them— he wondered who its owner was. “How are Ong and the rest?”

“They went back north,” Hansol said. “They had found what they were looking for. It was a pack member of theirs; a male omega. It seems like Kris had captured the young wolf and was using him as a hostage so that Seongwoo would do his bidding for him.”

Johnny felt a low growl starting to erupt deep down his throat, he scowled in offence. Kris disgusted him so much. To use defenceless omegas against their own pack was degrading. Though it was just a fraction of what he truly was, Johnny’s Alpha side understood why Seongwoo was keen on retrieving the omega. He was the Head Alpha, they were protective of what was theirs. And male omegas were uncommon, they were special. Johnny was starting to see Seongwoo on a whole different perspective.

“He said he’d settle his pack first before he returns to school,” Hansol explained further. “They’ll be back once everything is done.”

They were diverse but in a way Johnny respected Seongwoo’s resolve and dedication. Though Seongwoo was putting his pack in a rather exposed position by not staying with them, Seongwoo would do whatever he could to insure their safety in compensation. Seongwoo was young, he needed an adequate education to lead them properly. Labyrinth could give him just that. Some sacrifices have to be made.

“Did you tell them?” Johnny asked. “About how Ong helped Kris?”

“We didn’t. Kris was gone before Yunho-hyung’s men arrived for us.  _They_ took him.”

 “Who?” Johnny crooked a confused brow as he regarded his best friend. “Hansol, what _actually_  happened?”

Hansol was quiet for a moment, contemplating on how he should reply.

 

 

“EXODUS came,” he said.

 

 

There was no hiding the venomous tone in the Goblin’s voice, there was a sharpness to it that could cut. Hansol never did like their group. And it wasn’t just because he was royalty.  Johnny frowned. “Was  _hyung_ there, with them?”

Something flashed behind the other’s brown orbs but it was gone just as fast as it came. “No.”

Thank goodness, Johnny thought. At least  _he_ wasn’t there. The situation may have not been as serious as Hansol made it sound. “Did they take Kris?” Johnny pried instead.

“Yes, shortly after you were knocked out. They dragged his almost lifeless body like it was nothing without saying anything. Before I could comprehend what was happening, they were gone.”

That made no sense at all, Johnny mused with another frown. The EXODUS way was always unconventional and callous, no wonder Johnny didn’t want to join them even if they begged him to.

Hansol suddenly shot up from his seat with urgency, startling Johnny. “I feel like something bad is going to happen again.”

“Why is that?”

“They never show their selves on situations like that. EXODUS  _never_  does that,” Hansol emphasized. “But they did. Something’s wrong or something will be.”

“I see nothing to fear about. It wasn’t their fight. It was ours.”

“But why did they interfere?” Hansol insisted. “Why did they take Kris then?”

Johnny sighed. He could recognize Hansol’s concern no matter how hard the other tried to disguise it. “Because Kris Wu was supposed to be one of them. You know that already.” Kris hated him, Johnny was aware of that. Their past wasn’t the best and Johnny had no one else to blame but himself for his downfall. Kris was bound to get even eventually. Johnny wasn’t scared of him. He was waiting for the older to make the first move; Johnny loved a duel more than anything. It felt right and satisfying then. But Ten came and the entire game changed. “Kris was supposed to be part of then before I ruined everything for him.”

“So you think they did it because they’re still convinced that Kris was their responsibility?” Hansol asked thoughtfully.

“Yes.” Johnny wondered what would have happened if he never played Kris, if he hadn’t insulted him like he did. But the deed was done, there was no use crying over spilled milk.

Hansol heaved a breath as he crossed his arms and started down at the Alpha Incubus. “Just keep a watch out, Johnny. I feel like sooner or later they’ll be breathing down your neck again.” Hansol knew about what he did years ago, about how he got himself involved with EXODUS and Kris in the first place. It was idiotic, he said. Taeyong’s words were harsher but Hansol hadn’t pestered him regarding the matter after that unlike the Dementor.

Hansol sounded worried, he had every right to be. If there was one thing EXODUS was known for it was their unparalleled persuasiveness. The group had reached out to Johnny once, Hansol was certain they would do that again. They always get what they want after all. Hansol was more than convinced that EXODUS would cause problems for them in the near future. They have to be vigilant and prepared for whatever it was that was supposed to come.

“Don’t worry.” Johnny offered a smirk. Like Kris, he wasn’t afraid of them just the same. Johnny promised someone that they would never be one of them, he was going to live up to that promise. “But we need to do something about him.”

Hansol tilted his head to the side in question. “About who? Ten?”

Johnny nodded.

Ten was sleeping when Johnny found him. Johnny had done everything that he could to let him stay that way so he wouldn’t have to see what was going to happen. It was complex and both physically and mentally straining but given his incubi origin, Johnny had been able to influence the younger’s dreams, which was far from the norm. Ten had already suffered enough and Johnny wasn’t heartless to let him witness such a cruel onslaught— Jaehyun’s blood lust was unprecedented at times.

At the time frame that Ten was in potential danger and that Johnny had known him, Johnny finally understood how badly he had treated  _his mate._ How his foolish actions had almost cost him Ten’s life if they hadn’t acquired the extra help. It pained him to admit it but Seongwoo was right; what kind of Alpha was he when he had put his own mate in trouble? Though Ten was unharmed when the fight broke out, the idea that he could have been left an unsettling taste on Johnny’s tongue. Despite how conflicted his feelings were for the other, how complicated their current situation may be, Johnny had to be responsible.

And he would.

He saved Ten once, he swore that he would protect him from anyone once more till his last day.

“What’s the plan then?” Hansol asked.

Johnny knew Hansol wanted him far from Ten as possible but the Goblin would have to deal with his decision. Johnny had a few ideas in mind and he was certain Hansol wasn’t going to like any of it. However, their serious dialogue was cut short when both felt a rather unacquainted presence standing outside of Johnny’s room. Hansol spared his friend a small look and after getting Johnny’s consent— since Johnny wasn’t supposed to get out of bed just yet— he went to the door and waited for the other to knock.

When the soft brush of wood came, Hansol unlocked the bolt then slowly opened it; standing across him was a man he had never seen before in his life.

“Excuse me, but is this Johnny Seo’s room?” the other male asked as the door went ajar.

“Who are you?” Hansol demanded sternly. How the hell was he able to find Johnny’s personal quarters? He didn’t even seem like a student or a staff. He was smaller than Hansol, the Goblin noticed, but he was broader despite his height. He was wearing casual clothes but there was something imposing about his bearing. The air of confidence he carried was exquisite, seemingly unafraid as he stood before Hansol.

He was human, Hansol could notice even from a mile away. His calming white aura was apparent. “Lee Hyukjae,” he answered. The name sounded familiar, it had a ring to it, like Hansol had heard it somewhere, but he couldn’t remember where he heard it from to be exact. “I need to speak with Mr. Seo. You see, I’m Ten’s father.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Hansol’s life was no fairy tale, despite being royalty himself. Sure, he could have whatever his heart desired with a flick of a finger but it wasn’t always the case. Hansol grew up slightly unwanted. His older brother and sister hated him for being their father’s favorite, they were jealous because he was the crowned heir even though he was the youngest. His mother was slightly better, though not the best. She was a prim lady of prestige and grace but her beliefs and standards irked the young Goblin. Royalties were infamous for having inflated egos, carefully hidden under the mask of their gentle yet faux smiles; they detested interacting with those beneath them. Hansol could remember how his mother would constantly remind him to not interact with the other kids in dinner parties who wasn’t worthy of their presence and time.

Hansol was by himself mostly. He wasn’t good in crowds and other people were scared to approach him too. Johnny was the first friend he ever made; he was the first who dared to strike a conversation with him despite knowing who he was. Taeyong and Jaehyun came after eventually, Johnny brought them all together. He was their common link. That’s why Hansol’s sworn loyalty to Johnny knew no bounds. Johnny gave him everything; friends. Hansol would willingly give him anything in return.

So when Ten’s father unexpectedly came to the Alpha Incubus’ dorm room and asked if he could talk to Johnny alone, Hansol immediately took his leave and gave them privacy without much question. As he made his way back to his own floor, Hansol wondered how well his friend would manage himself during and after the conversation. Hansol was also curious what the older man wanted to tell his best friend, maybe he wanted to warn Johnny to stay away from his son or whatnot. Hansol shook his head at the idea. Knowing how arrogant and stubborn Johnny could be, he would never let go of Ten even if the latter’s father had threatened him to. Hansol would not have permitted it but Johnny could not go on if he was without Ten close by. With what had occurred, it was better that they were close before something else happened again to the freshman. Johnny could go on a rampage if that happened again.

It didn’t seem so bad, Hansol thought. It wouldn’t be long before Johnny would actually start pursuing Ten. Hansol was not fully educated on Johnny’s kind but courtship seems like a proper rite of passage for them since they were mates. His incubus side would be a sucker for romance too. His demons would woo Ten and they would mate for real. But Johnny never did things in order like a normal person. The thought how Johnny almost raped Ten still gave Hansol a headache at times.

Hansol dragged himself with heavy feet as he made his way from the corridors back to his room. He didn’t have enough energy to teleport himself so he walked. He needed to rest, the weight of their actions was starting to get to him, the fatigue was getting to him and even his eyes felt tired.  

But as he made a swift turn at a corner, he saw a body sitting on the floor, in front of his room’s door— a male student. The other had wrapped his arms around his knees and tightly hugged himself. But the familiar aura swirling above the petite form made Hansol recognize who it was.  _Did he venture into the Seniors’ dorm building by himself?_  How brave of him.

When his footsteps became loud and his feet were close to the other’s hunched frame, the latter shot his head up and gazed at Hansol through long lashes. His eyes widened marginally before he quickly collected himself then stood up.

“What are you doing here?” Hansol asked.

“Taeil-hyung told me that you guys had came back.”

Ah, Taeyond had already told Taeil then. And Taeil told Yuta.  _That made sense._

 “Where’s Ten?” he probed.

“He’s in quarantine. The chairman has blocked the entire infirmary for his sake.”

“Is he alright?”

“He’s fine. No injuries.” There was a softness to his voice Hansol didn’t even know he had in him.

“I want to see him.” Yuta was nervously nibbling onto his bottom lip until it bruised. Gone was the usual bite in his tone and fire in his eyes. Hansol had never seen him like that before, so unsure and insecure about himself.

“His room is off limits as of now,” he explained. “You could check up on him tomorrow. I think they’ll let you then.”

Hansol was too tired to talk. He needed to sleep, he didn’t care anymore. He simply took a step forward but Yuta held him by his wrist. His palms were warm, such a huge contrast to how cold Hansol’s skin usually was. After the reality of his actions doomed on him, he hastily retrieved his hand. “T-thank you,” he stuttered. Hansol would have thought it was cute if he wasn’t fighting the exhaustion away.

“I didn’t do it for you,” Hansol snapped defensively with furrowed brows. “I only did it ‘cause Johnny—”

“I know,” Yuta answered, barely above a whisper. His head was downcast and he sounded so unsure. “But still, thank you. For saving him.” If smiles could blind a person, Hansol’s eyesight would have been gone under a second with how bright the simple simper Yuta rewarded him with when the latter finally looked at him. Hansol was unable to come up with a wholesome reply. It was the first time that Yuta acted civil around him and even smiled at his direction, Hansol noted. The weariness he felt earlier was washed away in an instant.

Yuta didn’t add anything more and left quickly, hands clutched tightly onto the strap of his backpack. Hansol could only follow the other’s retreating form with his eyes, briefly catching the red tinge on the tip of his ears, until Yuta’s strides faltered and he was gone.

_So he came all this way to thank me?_

Hansol hadn’t even noticed the familiar tug on the corner of his lips as he locked the door after he went inside, feeling quite satisfied with himself.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my awesome beta <3  
> You know the drill, let me know what you think about the chapter.  
> Until the next one!


	20. Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [>] Feeling -UNB

_It had started snowing then, thick patches of white scattered along the forest path they had ventured on. Each step was taken with much difficulty as his brother’s rich laughter rung pass the tall pine trees, calling for Ten to hurry up so they could go back to their camping site and start the fire their parents had asked them to make together. They were arguing one minute and then running back, to where their car was parked, at the next._

 

_But then a sharp scream suddenly echoed through the area as they made their way, breaking its supposed serenity. The ground shook somehow and a dozen birds chirped violently, flying away from surrounding branches in horror. Ten dropped the bits of wood he was holding and followed his brother’s frantic pace to where the sound originated from._

 

_The shriek belonged to their mother, who was already dead when they arrived; their father’s lifeless body was sprawled besides hers on the cold surface, the snow greedily drinking in their blood. And there was a lot of blood. The smell of iron was prominent and strong that it made Ten want to throw up when he caught a whiff of the stench._

 

_A creature, who was tall in stature even with its body crooked down as it admired its gruesome work, turned towards their direction when it heard Ten take in a harsh gasp at the sickening sight. Its claws were damp with red, dripping still; its eyes were black, merciless and resonated of death._

 

_“Run, Ten!” his older brother shouted, pulling Ten out of his somewhat trance, roughly grasping onto him as the unknown being inched closer towards them_

 

_When Ten finally returned to his senses, they hurriedly fled through the darkened forest, dodging roots and huge trucks. His brother was practically dragging him; Ten’s short legs could only do so much._

 

_A few moments have passed but the sound of uneven steps from behind wouldn’t leave them alone._

 

_“You go this way, I’ll go the other way,” his brother said in between short huffs. “I’ll distract it long enough so it won’t be able to find you.”_

 

_“But what about you hyung?” Ten was crying._

 

_“Don’t worry about me, your safety is more important. Just run and get out of here!” His brother pushed him so Ten would go on while he s_ _tayed behind_ _and waited for the creature, so it would follow him instead. He ran to the right after the demon had spotted him while Ten turned clumsily to the left._

 

_Ten’s face was stained with tears, fear stricken as he sprinted through the trees. Not once did he look back, he was too horrified to even think of doing so. Instead he wiped the droplets away with his sleeves and carried on. He didn’t know where he was supposed to go, where he was headed to; he just went left like what his brother told him to do, following where his feet would take him deep into the expanse. Several minutes passed by and Ten was still running strenuously, his petite limbs were starting to ache and throb in agony._

 

 

 

_The forest grew dimmer by the second and without the presence of a reliable light source, Ten failed to notice a root slithering on the ground and tripped himself. He injured his ankle and scrapped his knee at the fall. But Ten willed himself not to screech out loud even though the pain was almost unbearable; he was afraid that his whereabouts would be found if he did. Then his brother’s sacrifice would be in vain._

 

_With dirt on both his face and hands, he mustered all the strength he had left in him to pull himself onto a nearby oak tree, crawling to ease pressure on his injury.  The oak was old and big, its roots were large enough for Ten’s tiny frame to be perfectly hidden in between them._

 

_With his back resting against the rough wooden surface, Ten hissed as he carefully massaged his feet after he kicked off his right shoe. It hurt like nothing he had ever experienced. He cautiously folded the hem of his trousers so he could inspect his swollen ankle. His mother had taught him how to treat sprains before but he couldn’t seem to remember any of her lessons._

 

_He was crying again at the thought of his family. He was with them just a few moments ago and then suddenly they were all gone._

 

 

_Were they dead? Was Ten going to die too?_

 

 

_Ten quickly hugged himself as a sudden gist of white wind came and tangled his already disarrayed hair. Before they left home earlier, his father had reminded him to wear his thickest set of clothes so he couldn’t freeze out in the night but three layers didn’t seem to be enough. The cold was excruciating, it stuck on Ten’s thickly covered skin like a glove and it burned, every part of his body was shivering, his lungs felt like they were on fire and the wind only added oil to the flame. The temperature fluctuated without reason; it was probably the unkindest night in history. Perhaps there was a gale approaching._

 

_Ten thought he could wait out the storm and continue on after he had healed but it seemed highly impossible given his situation. The cold was demanding, far too harsh for his young body. It was only a matter of time before he turned numb, the pain on his ankle forgotten. It was both relaxing and frightening. Feeling pain meant being alive and yet the familiar sensation was slipping away, his senses were getting duller. The howls of the air were drawing him into deep slumber._

 

_Ten wanted to fight it off, to keep his eyes open, but the temptation was far too difficult to resist. Death seemed like a favourable choice; he could be with his family again._

 

 

_Ten was willing to sleep forever if it meant that the suffering would be all over._

 

 

 

_Then, just as the idea crossed his mind, he dropped to the ground, another scream followed after._

 

 

 

 

 

Ten woke up gasping, his body jerked slightly off the bed as his eyes flew wide open. He took several sharp pants and brought a hand closely above his rapidly beating heart; his chest felt tight, _too tight,_  preventing him from regulating his air intake. He tried to calm himself down with every huff and ran frustrated fingers through his jet black hair, gripping onto the messy locks like his life depended on it until the roots started to hurt.

 

It had been awhile since he last experienced a dream of such intensity. He thought they had already stopped by now; but it hadn’t, his old recurring nightmares were back. They came like a thief in the night, just when Ten had finally managed to get some sleep after Minho left. But what hurt the most was that they weren’t simply just nightmares, they were fragments of his memory— they happened— haunting him still, mocking his weakness and inability to protect those he loved truly, leading them to their doom.

 

Ten felt restless all of a sudden, like the dream had drained him of his supposed energy. Then, a soft knock came from the nearby door, disturbing Ten’s train of thought. Perhaps it was Minho who came to check up on him again. But Ten didn’t want to see anyone at the moment. Not when he hadn’t collected his sanity yet. “Go away,” he said.

 

The visitor was hard headed though and had better ideas. Despite the obvious denial the door went ajar and in came a figure, pacing towards Ten’s direction. “Not the welcome I imagined and certainly not the sort of state I wished to see you in after all this time.”

 

The voice was familiar and the frame looming next to Ten’s side was as well. “Dad!” Ten exclaimed as he looked up and saw the other’s face clearly. It was Donghae; he carried with him a large basket of numerous fruits, probably from home. The older carefully placed the basket on the bedside table, besides the vase full of sunflowers Taemin had given Ten. “I’ve missed you,” the younger added.

 

“The lack of calls tell me otherwise,” Donghae retorted with brows raised in question.

 

Ten muffled a soft chuckle. Donghae’s weird sense of humor was something he could definitely do without but Ten missed him nonetheless.

 

Then, Donghae instinctively took several steps closer, reaching for the younger. “I’ve missed you too,” he said endearingly, using a certain tone he specially reserves for Ten. His palms were warm when they gently caressed Ten’s face and the latter could not help but lean onto them, desperate for the comforting heat. But the older then withdrew his hands and crossed his arms in indifference, his forehead creased. “But don’t think you are suddenly off the hook. I’m still disappointed in you, mister,” Donghae said firmly. “You should have known better than to let your guard down, you should have protected yourself at least. What happened to all those lessons that Hyukjae and I taught you all those years? Were they all for nothing?”

 

“I tried,” Ten mumbled lowly as he cast his gaze downward, not wanting to see the apparent disappointment shining through the elder’s eyes. “I-I’m sorry.”

 

“You should be.” Donghae paused. “But I’m glad you’re alright.” Like a switch, his expression changed almost instantly; gone were those tight creases on his forehead, his handsome face softened and showed nothing but genuine concern for the younger male. “You had me worried sick, Ten. Are you even aware of that?”

 

Donghae was starting to fuss over Ten again and though he would not admit it out loud, Ten was grateful that the older felt that way.

 

Ah, Donghae was too good to him sometimes.

 

“I’m fine, dad,” Ten reassured. “You shouldn’t have worried too much.”

 

“How could I when you got kidnapped?” Donghae asked with a spite of venom in his words, his pitch higher than usual. “I rarely hear from you already after you got into the Labyrinth and when I do it’s about you being forcefully taken away. And for what? All because of that Seo?”

 

“I-I wasn’t injured.” Ten didn’t know what else to say to appease him. “I wasn’t hurt.”

 

But Donghae wasn’t convinced at the slightest. “You _could_ have been,” he emphasized, “or worse, dead even.You know that, don’t you?”

 

Ten held his head up and Donghae looked displeased when their eyes met; a pang of guilt hit his chest. “But I _wasn’t_ ,” he pointed out, wanting the older to see reason. “That’s what’s important.”

 

Donghae looked cross for a brief second, unsure on how to reply before he settled with, “you stubborn, ungrateful brat.”

 

Ten barely managed to conceal a small smile at Donghae’s vain attempt to spite him; his insults were lacking bite. But Donghae had never been good at calling him names, he dotted on Ten too much to do such a thing. No matter how hard he tried and no matter what sort of trouble Ten would get himself into, Donghae could never stay mad at the younger for long.

 

Maybe that was his mistake.

 

 

 

“You know it’s not advised to subject patients under intense stress. It hinders with their recovery,” a voice, foreign to Ten’s ears, suddenly came. “Don’t you think so too, Donghae?”

 

 

 

 

_Who is that?_

 

 

 

Both immediately whipped their heads to the direction of the new arrival. They hadn’t perceived the door opening or closing, too engrossed with their own conversation to notice. Though the other stood from the opposite side the room, Ten could still make out the former’s build; he wasn’t a stranger. He recognized the other’s physique almost instantly despite the distance. And that was odd since Ten rarely saw him in school. Still, Ten blinked repeatedly, wanting to be sure that his eyes weren’t deceiving him.

 

And they weren’t.

 

 

 

 

_What is he doing here?_

 

 

 

 

“Yunho.” Donghae eventually said.

It was the academy’s chairman, no other than the honourable Jung Yunho himself.

 

 

 

 

 

The sole of his fancy polished leather shoes tapped gracefully onto the tiled floor as its owner took a dozen steps closer. “Donghae, still quite the little charmer, I see.” Yunho greeted as soon as he stood in front of them and then regarded Donghae, familiarity in his connotation. “It’s been a while.”

 

“Yeah, it has,” Donghae said, nodding his head to acknowledge Yunho’s presence. There was a subtle glint in his deep brown orbs that suggested they were well-acquainted.

 

Ten could only gape in awe and wonder, quietly staring back and forth at the two older males who seemed rather friendly with the other.

 

 

_Do they know each other?_

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

“I have to say, I never thought I’d meet you again, especially in a circumstance like this,” Yunho remarked, an accustomed smile on his face as he continued his conversation with the other male. “How long has it been? More than 9, 10 years?”

 

“Probably more,” Donghae answered. “Hyukjae is here too, did you know? He came with me.”

 

“So I’ve been told.” Yunho hummed thoughtfully. “I knew you wouldn’t travel all the way here by yourself. The others would never allow it.”

 

“Leeteuk-hyung insisted I’d bring Hyukjae with me.”

 

“Figures.”

 

 

 

And just then, as if by cue, the door suddenly slid open again and another figure entered, strutting like he owned the very expanse, almost uncaring.

 

“Speaking of the devil himself,” Yunho remarked cheekily but there was no hiding the profound delight on his face as he saw the newcomer, a growing grin stretched the corner of his lips. “Hyukjae.”

 

At the call of his name, Hyukjae’s eyes shifted and landed on the chairman. “Yunho?” Hyukjae’s expression morphed from obviously stunned into a happy one at the unexpected sight of his old friend. “It’s really you. Man, it’s good to see you again!” Hyukjae looked like he wanted to hug Yunho but he stopped himself before he could do anything unnecessary.

 

“Likewise.” Yunho returned the simper and proceeded to stare the shorter male down from head to toe. “You’ve grown. _Considerably,_ I mean.”

 

Just like that, as fast as his smile came it disappeared almost instantly, replaced with a small frown. “Your sense of humor still sucks, I see.” Hyukjae rolled his eyes at the other mockingly.

 

Yunho shrugged his shoulders, unbothered. “I try my best.” Seeing Hyukjae hiss at his comeback made the chairman felt accomplished; as childish as it was, teasing Hyukjae had always been amusing for Yunho.

 

But the other’s attention on Yunho was short lived as Hyukjae eventually made a beeline straight for Donghae. Hyukjae crossed the room and stood beside his partner, like he rightfully belonged there.

 

 _Some things never change,_ Yunho thought.

 

“You took your time,” Donghae said softly, meant for Hyukjae. “Where have you been?”

 

“Sorry, I had some personal business to take care of first,” he explained briefly, smiling apologetically before he turned to the laying boy on the bed, bending slightly so they were of the same height. “Hey there, kiddo.” Hyukjae pulled a face at Ten and reached for him just like what Donghae did earlier, ruffling his already messy locks. “Glad to see you’re awake.”

 

Ten whined at the ministrations but he was happy to see his other father nonetheless.

 

Though it was a contradiction to his usual resigned nature, Yunho couldn’t help but chuckle at the display, hiding his wide grin behind a fake cough. They might have known each other for as long as he could remember but Yunho had never seen Hyukjae acting like that; warm and loving towards someone who wasn’t Donghae.

 

 _A lot has changed after all_.

 

A few fleeting moments came and they were completely lost in their own world, conversing in low tones that only they could hear, laughing brightly, and unbelievably forgetting that Yunho was still in the same space as they were. Yunho felt like he was an intruder to what should have been only shared among the three. To ease his own awkwardness, Yunho then cleared his throat to catch their attention which he did. “As much as I hate to interrupt this touching reunion, I would like to apologize for Ten’s incident. This wouldn’t have happened if we were just careful.” The idea still left a painful clench on his pride. It was unprecedented, something Yunho hadn’t thought of ever happening. And it almost went out of control under his watch. “It was a mistake in our part,” he admitted humbly. “We lacked surveillance. But rest assured, it would never happen again.” And Yunho would see to it that it would. Labyrinth had a reputation to keep after all.

 

“Nonsense,” Donghae said, waving his hand dismissively. “I would say this is the Seo kid’s fault rather than yours.”

 

“Dad, he did save me, you know?” Ten chimed before his eyes quickly widened at his own words. And Donghae wasn’t impressed.

 

Yunho’s gaze turned to the troubled student. He was well informed of the young boy’s situation with his brother’s friends since Jaehyun told him everything when he cornered the younger the moment they arrived back.

 

“And he shouldn’t have to if he didn’t start it in the first place!” Donghae angrily snapped.

 

 

 

“Y-you know?” Ten looked genuinely shocked at the revelation.

 

“About what happened in the cafeteria?” The older clicked his tongue in exasperation. “Of course we do. You think Yesung-hyung wouldn’t know?”

 

_That made perfect sense._

 

As much as he would have preferred to stay out of it, “allow me to thank you for helping us with the confidentiality of the matter,” Yunho interrupted. With Johnny involved, what could have been just a simple scandal escalated to something more. Even with both Yunho’s family and the Seo’s working together, things would have still been a whole lot worst if SJ hadn’t stepped up to aid them in preventing information from getting out of the academy. True, Yunho’s life would have been easier if SJ hadn’t found out but what’s done was done.

 

While Johnny and his gang were off to their idiotic and very impulsive rescue mission, the academy was placed in complete lock-down; no one could leave and enter the academy’s borders without Yunho’s permission, not before he was confident that the crisis was dealt with. It was both stressful and troublesome but the fiasco was finally liquidized before Ten had returned.

 

“Thank Leeteuk-hyung. It was his idea,” Hyukjae answered in the other’s stead. “He’s not very happy with you though.”

 

“I could have deduced that on my own already.” Yunho could still remember the talk on the phone he had with the notorious group leader just a few hours prior. Leeteuk did not sound even just a bit pleased. “But thank you nonetheless.” The incident added to the long lists of debts Yunho already had for SJ and even though Yunho hated owing them anything, he felt like he would need their help more in the future.

 

“How is his condition, by the way?” Donghae asked, suddenly changing the topic, gesturing towards Ten who had been silent for awhile ever since his somewhat outburst. “When will he be discharged?”

 

“I’ve already talked to the medical staff about that. The doctors said after a good rest,” Yunho answered.

 

“Is Ten alright?”

 

“They took several tests on him and after careful examination, he’s in good physical condition; no injuries, no bruises,” Yunho explained. “Nothing to worry about.”

 

“Nothing, you say?” Donghae hummed considerately.

 

Yunho’s forehead creased in query at the sort of tone Donghae was using. “What are you planning?”

 

 

 

“When he’s completely healed I’m taking Ten home with me,” he said simply.

 

 

 

 

 

“Donghae…” Hyukjae murmured cautiously, hand grasping onto Donghae’s arm which the latter harshly brushed off.

 

Even Ten was bewildered with the sudden notion. “Dad, what are you saying?!”

 

“Now Donghae, let’s not be drastic about this.” Of all the ridiculous things Yunho had heard in awhile, what Donghae said was definitely the most absurd one yet. “You know you can’t just take him as you wish. We have rules; the school would never allow it.” And Yunho wasn’t going to let Donghae do whatever he damn wanted.

 

“I can take him back if I want t—”

 

“You of all people should know what happens when you disobey the ways of Labyrinth,” Yunho cut him off before he could add any more ludicrous assertions. “Labyrinth is and will always be _absolute_. I hope you haven’t forgotten,” Yunho warned seriously, eyes gradually darkening, baring his sharp teeth.

 

Donghae took the action in offence and was ready to charge but Hyukjae intuitively stepped forward, coming in between the two, grabbing Donghae by the wrist, preventing him from doing anything stupid he would bound to regret later which the other certainly did not like. But rather than serving as the mediator, it appeared like Hyukjae was purposely doing it to protect Donghae instead. _Donghae is a child_ , Yunho decided, _acting up if he doesn’t get what he wants._

 

Donghae was menacingly staring at him pass Hyukjae’s shoulders, throwing daggers at his direction, looks that were bound to cut if they could. Yunho had never backed down on a challenge before so he gladly returned the favour. Though he was clearly outnumbered and in the presence of two weapons master, Yunho wasn’t alarmed at the slightest; he made sure that the hunters were unarmed before he allowed them inside school property. They were tough but they could never win against Yunho in hand-to-hand combat even if they tried.

 

The stare-off continued on till it turned too intense that they had completely blocked everything else. Not even the sound of Ten’s rustlings and gentle pleas could stop the two from killing each other with their sharp gazes.

 

 

Yunho was Labyrinth’s chairman, the heir to the Jung name, a powerful pure blood vampire, and he wasn’t going to blink first.

 

 

 

“Never underestimate Labyrinth. Don’t be like those fools who died doing so,” Yunho added icily.

 

It was an obvious threat, a serious one at that. Hyukjae scowled at the connotation, even Donghae grimaced as he finally looked away. Yunho felt victorious but it was then did it doom on him just how far-fetched their lives were compared to before. They might have been brothers once but they should know where Yunho’s loyalty lie— it will always be with the academy.

 

 

Sensing the suffocating tension in the room he himself had caused, Yunho figured he had overstayed his welcome. After he had collected himself he said, “I’ll leave you all to catch up.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

When Yunho finally left and the door clicked shut behind him, leaving the other three, Hyukjae let out a relieved breath he didn’t know he was holding in. _That was scary._ It had been years since he last witnessed Donghae and Yunho fighting over a trivial issue. But even as kids, they had always managed to turn things more dramatic than they should have been.

 

Hyukjae felt a nudge on his shoulder. Donghae was glaring crisply at him, he didn’t know the reason why.

 

“Let go of me.”

 

_Oh._

 

Immediately, Hyukjae loosened his clasp on the other male.

 

Finally free from Hyukjae’s clutches, Donghae’s focus returned back to Ten like a magnet to its pole. _Well of course, Ten always comes first._ Their voices had already died out, the atmosphere was muted. Hyukjae wouldn’t even think of breaking the ice. He wasn’t sure what Donghae was thinking at that moment.

 

Donghae was just silently observing the younger, taking in every visible part of Ten that his eyes would allow him until he caught something that piqued his curiosity. His gaze drawn onto a portion of Ten’s neck, prominent enough thanks to the low cut hospital gown he had to wear. Hyukjae saw it too. It was quite strange though that he wasn’t as shocked as he initially thought he would have been if he saw  _it_. Unknowing, Ten grew uncomfortable at the intense stares his fathers were rewarding him with.

 

Then, Donghae took strides towards him, agonizingly slow yet confident steps.

 

“Did he touch you?” Donghae asked seriously, a lingering trace of malice in each word.

 

“N-no,” Ten stuttered. _This won’t end well._

 

“Then what’s _this_?” Donghae glowered as he hunched forwards, running rough fingertips ghostly onto the dip of the mark. It was deep, carved with sharp teeth, canine most probably. Ten’s complexion was fair but the patch was slightly darker with traces of redness, like it was fresh; it had to hurt. Though the torn skin was healing it still stung somehow and when Ten flinched at the contact, Donghae retrieved his hand quickly, almost like he was electrocuted. “Were you forced?” he asked through clenched teeth.

 

Ten didn’t know what he was supposed to say, or how to reason his way out. He was in big trouble, that was for sure.

 

The younger’s lack of response only fueled Donghae’s already burning rage and made the latter grimace in disgust and apparent anger. “This is what I was worried about the most.”

 

“I-I’m fine,” Ten murmured.

 

“How is this even fine?!” Donghae snapped back, motioning towards Ten’s bedridden state. “You were forced to be his mate, bitten then kidnapped, that alone speaks that you can’t take care of yourself!”

 

Ten winced at the other’s sudden rise of speech, his body visibly flinched that Hyukjae grew concerned. Donghae had never truly yelled at him before, not even once. That was the first time.

 

“Donghae, don’t be too harsh on the kid,” Hyukjae prompted lightly. “You shouldn’t stress him out right now.”

 

“I’m the harsh one?!” Donghae asked incredulously as he regarded Hyukjae. “And I’m the bad guy now, huh?”

 

Hyukjae only frowned seeing Ten’s stiff frame as Donghae continuously scolded him. 

 

“I can’t stand seeing you like this, not being close to me and the others where we can keep an eye on you.”

 

“Dad, I’m not five.”

 

“No, you’re not. But you sure act like one.” Donghae heaved a frustrated breath, “forget your mission. Stay away from those boys until school break. You’re not coming back for the next semester so don’t even think about it.”

 

“Donghae….” Hyukjae trailed off, finally decided to step in. He hated questioning Donghae’s decisions whenever it concerned Ten’s well-being but it had gone too redundant and there was no stopping Donghae’s irrationality if Hyukjae does not intervene. “You can’t ask Ten to forego with his mission. The hyungs would be furious if they found out that we made Ten do things without them knowing.”

 

“They would understand. It’s for Ten’s safety!”

 

“I know,” he sighed affirmatively, “but Ten swore loyalty to SJ and Leeteuk’s orders. And Leeteuk-hyung has given his commands. We can’t go against our leader.”

 

“But Ten’s my s—”

 

“Ten is his own person before he became your son,” Hyukjae countered aggressively, trying to sound as calm as possible but failing miserably. Donghae looked hurt by his implication but Hyukjae brushed the thought aside. He was well aware that his words came across as unforgiving but it was for Donghae’s own good. Hyukjae loved the other with all his heart but Donghae shouldn’t be blinded by his paternal instinct, allowing his protectiveness to cloud his better judgement was a big no. They had much bigger problems to worry about. “He’s old enough to know what sort of decisions to make on his own. And you heard what Yunho said,” he paused. “You really wanna go against him?”

 

 

Donghae was tight lipped after that, unable to make a proper counter. But he looked like he was close to succumbing. Hyukjae was right after all. Hell, Hyukjae was right most of the time, Donghae was just too stubborn to actually listen to him.

 

 

 

“Fine. I’ll compromise. Do what you want,” Donghae eventually said, sounding defeated though it smudged his ego. He knew he was at a disadvantage; there was no use arguing if Hyukjae sided with Ten. Seeing the overly pleased expression on Ten’s face after Donghae finally gave up, Hyukjae winked approvingly at him.“Just don’t take that necklace off, ever.” Donghae was referring to the very amulet that Ten was wearing which Hyukjae had managed to get a hold of. It was small in size, true, but it was powerful enough to serve its purpose. “At least I’ll be at ease knowing you’re protected somehow. Call us immediately if something happens again or tell Minho. And If possible, keep a safe distance, you hear me?”

 

“Yes.” Hyukjae never thought that it would be possible but Ten really looked quite happy that Donghae was allowing him to stay in the lion’s den.  _Is it because of his friends?_  Ten mentioned them during their last phone call, he sounded very fond of his new buddies. 

 

“Promise me, Ten,” Donghae repeated in warning.

 

“I promise, dad.”

 

 

"Good. Because if he touches you by force again, I’ll kill him myself.”

 

 

And Hyukjae knew Donghae long enough to know it wasn't just an empty threat.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After their long and exhausting conversation with Ten, they decided it was finally time to head back home. It would be too dangerous for them to set out and travel once the sun had set. The forest surrounding Labyrinth wasn’t a lenient one; the unknown shadows lurking in the dense woods weren’t as well. Though he had already agreed to Hyukjae’s wishes, Donghae was reluctant to leave Ten behind like he promised. If he wanted to, Donghae would have forced the younger to come home with them. But Hyukjae had dragged him almost instantly out of the room when the round of goodbyes ended, before Donghae could even persuade the younger some more.

 

Yunho was waiting for them at the empty corridor outside Ten’s personal quarters and volunteered to escort the two to where they parked their car to send them off properly, their intense quarrel earlier completely forgotten. They have fought numerous of times before in the past, it wasn’t new, nothing personal at all. Strange it may seem but despite how different their lives might be at that instant, all three have shared history together, both good and bad ones. The last time they met, before Yunho accepted the position to be Labyrinth’s next chairman after his father and before Donghae and Hyukjae took up the oath to work under SJ, they were sure that their paths wouldn’t cross for another lifetime. But fate had a funny way of making things work for them.

 

Hyukjae used the opportunity to catch up with Yunho. Donghae wasn’t in the mood— and he was still sort of ticked off with Yunho’s arrogant attitude— so he just listened as the other two conversed, exchanging jokes and stories like they did in their prime. It was quite nostalgic.

 

The parking lot wasn’t the closest to the infirmary so they had to cross several other buildings before they reached their destination. They were walking through the main hallway of the academy when something caught Donghae’s sensitive ears. The air around the area was colder than the rest and the halls were practically deserted _. The students were probably in their dorms or having dinner_ , Donghae thought. But what made him curious was that he could hear soft whispers— even when Yunho was in the midst of retelling Hyukjae some sort of tale Donghae could not make out of— low mumbles and childlike laughter. But Donghae knew no one else was around the area except for them. He had been to Labyrinth before but everything was still all too alien for him. And he had an odd feeling that someone was watching him—them— from afar.

 

Donghae wasn’t afraid, he rarely was. But there was something strange about the school, more than ever. He could sense it, something dark and strong, however Donghae was undecided with what that signified.

 

“You shouldn’t worry about Ten anymore. The school will tighten its security for his sake and I will personally see to it that he is taken care of,” Yunho suddenly said as they were approaching the hunters’ car. “And a few parties are also willing to help in that cause.”

 

The underlying meaning behind the statement made Donghae halt on his tracks.

 

“The Seo’s will look out for him too,” Yunho continued on. “Being Johnny’s mate entitles him to—”

 

 

“We don’t need them for anything!” Donghae barked back, almost seething. No matter how much he thought around it, he could still not stomach the idea of his sweet Ten being mates with a demon as vile as a Seo. Relying on them for anything— especially with his son’s safety— made Donghae’s skin crawl. “If they dare lay a finger on Ten—”

 

“There’s nothing we can do,” Hyukjae interjected. “It’s their right.”

 

“They can kiss my ass for all I’m concerned. Johnny Seo lost whatever so-called _right_ he had on Ten when he forced that mark on him!” Donghae could see from the corner of his eye the un-approving looks Hyukjae was giving him for being so rude but he couldn’t push himself to give a single damn.

 

Why was Hyukjae so favorable of the situation anyway? Donghae could not comprehend it. Did Hyukjae not care that Ten was in more potential danger the longer he stayed outside their reach?

 

But unlike them, Yunho was more reserved that time; probably too aloof for their liking. His silence was only adding to the hunter’s apprehension. “I know why Ten is here,” Yunho then admitted, not beating the bush. “The _real_ reason why he came and got accepted into the school.”

 

Years and years of cautious and punitive training had hone Donghae’s ability to control his expression at will but his ability chose to fail him at that very moment. His eyes widened marginally, like large saucers. “How did you—”

 

“Ten looks every bit like _him_. It wasn’t hard to puzzle the pieces together,” Yunho answered before Donghae could finish his query, almost nonchalantly. “How did you even find him?”

 

They had already stopped walking, standing under the arch of the large doorway. A sudden roll of air came and swayed their clothes about but all three men stayed rooted on their feet, looking past the other with calculating eyes. Donghae wanted to retort but he fought back the urge. _Just how much did Yunho know?_

 

“You guys honestly thought no one would notice?” Yunho asked with a challenging timbre. “That Ten is related to _him_?”

 

 _Well of course someone else would notice_ , Donghae thought. Even Leeteuk was convinced that someone else would but it was too soon. Had they already been found out?

 

 _Their_ resemblances were uncanny, too hard to miss. _He_ might have died long before but _his_  very being haunted the halls of the academy. Labyrinth was rightfully _his_ ; it was bound to find _his_  closest kin no matter how much they kept him away. 

 

“Tell me the truth,” Yunho started, straightening his back. “What’s happening?”

 

 

Despite their occasional differences in certain matters, Yunho had proven himself to be a trust-worthy friend in numerous occasions in the past. But that was the problem, they were all in the past. Tables have turned and their lives weren’t theirs anymore. Could they really trust Yunho?

 

“Bad things,” Hyukjae answered ambiguously instead. “We could only hope that it won’t come to that.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Donghae turned to Hyukjae, seeking for his opinion with his gaze. Hyukjae’s usual soft auburn orbs were blank, void of any expression but almost an epoch of being together, Donghae could read the meaning behind the slightest flinch from the other male.

 

Donghae then regarded Yunho. “Hyung, I’ve saved your life once, do me this one favor.” He wasn’t one to collect debts better left unpaid but desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

Yunho was irresolute but said, “what do you want?”

 

“Just one thing.” The imagery of a poor and defenceless boy curled into a fatal position with torn and bloodstained clothes, almost frozen to death horrified Donghae like nothing else. He had promised then and there that he would do whatever he can for Ten and he was going to push through. “My son safe.”

 

 

Yunho was taken aback by the request though he had expected it at some point.

 

“Promise me you’ll keep him away from any harm while he is here.” There was gravity and resolve in Donghae’s voice that made Yunho unable to decline. “That whatever happened before wouldn’t happen to him again.”

 

 

 

The chairman eyed the outstretched hand the other had offered with concentration, enumerating several pros and cons in his head. After careful debate, he sighed defeatedly then held his own hand out. “I’ll guard him with my life, Donghae.” He wrapped his against Donghae’s, curling his slim digits onto the other’s arm, sealing the vow. “No one, not the Seo’s, not even the school could hurt him.” Yunho’s icy fingers were like how Donghae had remembered them to be, calloused and cracked; almost dead but very much alive. “You have my word.”

 

An enormous breath of comfort left the shorter male when Yunho finally let go, like as if some of the burden on his shoulders were taken off him. He saw Hyukjae smiling at them as he watched. “Thank you, Yunho.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Send Leeteuk-hyung and the rest my regards,” Yunho said as he beckoned the two to their car.

 

Hyukjae had missed Yunho, he was more than just a brother and they have been afar for years, but Hyukjae honestly couldn’t wait to leave. “Will do.”

 

They left Labyrinth just as fast as they came.

 

Donghae had been very quiet on their journey back to central Seoul. Hyukjae was starting to worry at the lack of usual noise from his companion. The latter hadn’t spoken much earlier as well, constantly deep in thought. And Donghae was obviously agitated. Though he was usually good in controlling his temper, it exploded right in front of both Ten and Yunho, which was very strange considering how much he favoured his son and how much he respected Yunho. He and Yunho would have brawled for real if Hyukjae hadn’t been there. Hyukjae thanked Leeteuk at the back of his mind for allowing him to accompany Donghae to visit Ten at Labyrinth. Who knows what would have happened if he went by himself; Donghae was too unstable to be on his own given the circumstance. “Are you alright?” Hyukjae dared ask, wanting to reduce the other’s obvious discomfort.

 

Donghae bustled, uninterested, and it made Hyukjae sigh in return.

 

“We can’t keep him, you know that, right?”

 

But Donghae didn’t answer him. Instead he was staring at afar, entranced by the passing scenery.

 

“With what’s to come, he can’t come home just yet,” Hyukjae continued. “He needs to stay there.” Things have already been complicated enough as they were when Ten was still living with them but it got a whole lot worse when he left. Ten’s kidnapping proved their fears right and it was just the beginning of it all. It was by sheer luck that Leeteuk had been able to foresee such a possibility and was quick to help in keeping any information from leaking outside the academy, along with the other SJ members. Ten’s safety and well-being had always been their priority after all. The group’s actions and intention may be vague but everything had been carefully planned beforehand in preparation for the worst. If anyone else knew that Ten was hidden away inside Labyrinth’s guarded walls then it would only lead to more chaos. Ten was already in danger for being what he was and being Johnny Seo’s, the most sought after demon’s mate added to his unending list of burdens. Hyukjae felt sorry for him; Ten was a son to him just as Donghae’s yet he could do nothing for him at all. The idea left a displeasing feeling and he clenched tightly onto the stirring wheel, feeling utterly useless for the first time. 

 

“I just want him safe.” Donghae’s voice was low and wounded but it panged Hyukjae’s heart tenderly just the same.

 

“I know.” He reached his free hand for Donghae’s and grasped on them like he usually did, warm flesh above the other, not wanting to let go. Hyukjae knew how much Donghae loved Ten, he had been a witness to it. Hyukjae was there when Donghae saved Ten from freezing to death, he was there when Donghae took care of the younger when he was severely battered, he was there when Donghae insisted he would take legal custody of the boy despite Leeteuk’s disapproval— Hyukjae was there, he had seen it all so he understood why Donghae felt the way that he did. “But we can’t protect him all the time. Labyrinth will keep him safe. That is where he truly belongs. Not with us.”

 

 

_“You probably know why I’m here,” Hyukjae started as soon as the demon, who he easily recognized to be as the royal Goblin Ji Hansol, left them. Johnny raised a questioning brow, his nostrils were flared as he watched the older male gawking at him. Hyukjae was carefully observing Johnny from the other side of the room. The demon was sitting on his bed, back rested against its headboard. He looked healthy but the tiredness carefully hidden beneath his brown orbs had not escaped Hyukjae’s keen perceptiveness. “I heard you saved him, and even if it was mostly your doing, I know when to express my gratitude, especially when it is accounted for. So I want to thank you for it.” Hyukjae formally said and even bowed his head slightly. “Thank you for saving Ten.”_

 

_Johnny Seo opened his mouth but only to close it again after a second, doubtful._

 

_Seeing the younger’s internal battle to string together a decent reply, Hyukjae said, “We know everything, we know what happened, no use trying to lie.” SJ was known for their impeccable information sources and being under their care, Ten’s situation would never get past them no matter how hard others try to hide it from them._

 

_Johnny Seo wasn’t fazed at the admission; his face remained stoic and distant. Hyukjae didn’t mind. They talked, well, mostly Hyukjae did while Johnny listened to him intently._

 

 

 

When Donghae interlaced their slim fingers together, it broke Hyukjae out of his abstraction. Donghae casually leaned his body towards the glass window, trying to find a comfortable position so he could go to sleep without disconnecting their clasped hands. It would be a long ride home. Hyukjae smiled at Donghae’s cuteness then turned his attention back on the road ahead when he heard soft snores, drifting back to his previous thoughts.

 

The conversation he had with the Alpha Incubus was still ripe in his memory. The Johnny Seo he had expected and the Johnny Seo that he met were two different persons altogether. Despite what his status and word of the tongue made him out to be, Johnny was still a kid in Hyukjae’s eyes, like Ten was.

 

Johnny was dangerous, true, but he also was the only one that could help them. And help them he shall.

 

Ten needed him after all, Hyukjae knew that for a fact. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been so long and I am so sorry but school has been stressing me out so much lately. Also, Uni's system blocked ao3 and idk what to do. TT I hope this is enough as an apology though? TT


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